COAST CITIES — High school students taking college courses at MiraCosta College will no longer have to pay enrollment fees, thanks to a change in policy approved by MiraCosta College trustees at its Oct. 22 meeting.The change comes a little more than a month after MiraCosta College signed an agreement to offer college-credit courses at Carlsbad’s newly opened Sage Creek High School. At the time, MiraCosta College agreed to waive enrollment fees for all concurrently enrolled Carlsbad Unified students taking MiraCosta College credit courses, whether at Sage Creek High School, the college’s campuses in Oceanside and Cardiff, or online. Last night’s board action extends this to all concurrently enrolled high school students who are enrolled in less than 12 units at MiraCosta College. The high school students will still have to pay for books and supplies, in addition to parking and other fees.
This semester, there are approximately 175 concurrently enrolled students taking classes at MiraCosta College, a high number of them from Canyon Crest Academy and Carlsbad High School. With the recent agreement to have college courses at Carlsbad’s Sage Creek High School, the district is expecting a boost in that number.
“This is great news for local high school students and their parents,” said MiraCosta College Superintendent/President Francisco Rodriguez. “It removes a substantial financial barrier while giving them a chance to earn college credit, get a taste of college life and inspire them to continue their education.”
The MiraCosta Community College District’s board of trustees made the move in a unanimous vote.
“While the fiscal impact of waiving fees for concurrently enrolled students is estimated at $100,000, is an incredible service to the community, and a very effective recruitment tool for the college in the long run,” said a report presented at the governing board meeting.
The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships said that concurrent enrollment “facilitates close collaboration between high school teachers and college faculty that fosters alignment of secondary and postsecondary curriculum.” Te state Education Code states that concurrent enrollment is part of an effort “to provide educational enrichment opportunities to high school students” and “also to help ensure a smoother transition from high school to college for pupils by providing them with greater exposure to the college atmosphere.”
