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Early College

Early College is a program for 11th and 12th grade students who enroll full-time at LCCC for two years, earning their General Studies A.A. degree while simultaneously earning their high school diploma.

Participating school districts are:

Lehigh County

Allentown (Building 21, Louis E. Dieruff, William Allen)
Catasauqua
East Penn (Emmaus High School)
Northwestern Lehigh
Parkland
Salisbury
Whitehall-Coplay (Whitehall High School)

Carbon County

Jim Thorpe Area (ACE Program)
Lehighton Area (College Scholars Program)
Panther Valley

Schuylkill County

North Schuylkill
Tamaqua Area (students begin in 10th grade)

What are the admission requirements?

Begin at the start of 11th grade.
Strong academic background (90% or higher GPA in college preparatory classes).
LCCC placement test scores that indicate readiness for college-level work
- English, Reading & Math
- Exemptions for PSAT or SAT only
Independence and emotional maturity to handle a full-time college schedule and to learn with other students, including adults.
Subject to the approval of your school district. Each school district has its own requirements for participating in the program, so please contact your school counselor to learn more about them.

How much does the program cost?

Early College students receive the same reduced Dual Enrollment tuition rate of $70-per-credit (students in Lehigh County, Carbon County and Tamaqua).

Over four full-time semesters, families should budget approximately $4,270 (61 credits) for tuition plus approximately $2,000 for textbooks and other supplies. Students can enroll in the payment plan every semester through the Business Office.

Will my credits transfer?

Early College graduates have transferred to 36 different colleges and universities.
It is up to your future college or university to verify what credits will transfer and what course equivalencies can be used to satisfy your future bachelor’s degree requirements.
Early College students should contact potential transfer schools to verify course equivalencies and credit transfer.
LCCC does not keep a list of schools that accept all credits taken by Early College students.

Where do Early College students take classes?

On campus, online/remote, or a combination of both.
LCCC recommends the on-campus experience as much as possible to stay connected with faculty, staff and student resources.
On-campus is the preference for most Early College students.

Do Early College students buy their own books and other school supplies?

Early College students must purchase or rent textbooks, and any other supplies required for classes.
Laptops are not provided but the LCCC library does offer a limited number of laptops that can be borrowed each semester.
Some high schools permit their Early College students to continue using school-issued laptops. Ask your school counselor if this applies to you.

Will the High School Know How I’m Doing?

LCCC shares midterm and final grades every semester with your school counselor to be recorded on your high school transcript.
The College will report any academic alerts or behavioral concerns to your school counselor, who will then share them with your parent/ Guardian.
The Early College Academic Advisor works with your school counselor to keep you on track to graduate from high school.

What Are the Requirements to Stay in the Program?

Although we want our Early College students to earn the associate degree, our primary concern is for students to graduate from their high school.
Early College students must maintain “Good Standing” status in their academic progress (2.0 GPA) to remain in the program.
- First-year students who fail a course in the fall semester will be allowed to repeat the course in the spring. If the student fails the same course a second time, the student will be removed from the program and return to the high school.
- Second-year students who do not meet the academic requirements of LCCC and/or high school graduation requirements will be removed from the program and return to the high school to achieve high school graduation requirements.
Early College students must adhere to the same Code of Student Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy as all other LCCC students and can be dismissed from the program for violations that warrant that sanction.

Can Early College students with disabilities receive accommodations?

LCCC offers support and accommodations to qualified students with disabilities through DisabilitySupport Services (DSS).
It is the student’s responsibility to contact DSS to make arrangements for accommodations, preferably at the start of the semester.
Students with a temporary impairment during the semester should contact DSS as soon as possible to make arrangements for accommodations.
Information about DSS is available here. For further assistance, please contact dss@36837a.com or 610-799-1154.

Early College Information Session

Questions? Contact: dualenrollment@36837a.com

Brandon Kwiatek

Executive Director of HIgh School Connections & Early College

Schnecksville, PA

610-799-1120

bkwiatek@36837a.com

Rachael Toonder

Assistant Director of High School Connections

Schnecksville, PA

610-769-1352

rtoonder@36837a.com