Oklahoma concurrent enrollment grows as funding shrinks

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – More Oklahoma high school students are registering for college courses as funding for the concurrent enrollment program shrinks.

The Oklahoman  reports the state’s concurrent enrollment program has allowed high school juniors and seniors to earn college credits since 2005. Seniors are also eligible to receive tuition waivers for six credit hours per semester.

For the 2016-17 school year, nearly 19,400 of the state’s high school seniors completed more than 91,000 college credits and didn’t have to pay tuition fees. A State Regents for Higher Education report says the students saved an average more than $100 per credit earned. Colleges and universities were reimbursed for about 27 percent of the cost.

For the 2017-18 year, schools are being forced to find new ways to keep the program going after the Legislature denied the Regents’ $6.4 million funding request.