> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Government
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Pell Grants Will Help High-School Students Pay for College Courses

By  Kelly Field
October 30, 2015
Washington

High-school students taking college courses for credit will be able to receive Pell Grants for the first time, under an experiment the Education Department announced on Friday.

The announcement occurred just two weeks after the department unveiled another pilot that will allow federal grants and loans to flow to educational-technology companies that team up with colleges to offer coding boot camps, MOOCs, short-term certificates, and other credentials.

More than 1.4 million high-school students took college courses for credit, a process known as dual enrollment, in 2010-11, according to department statistics. Some research suggests that low-income and first-generation students who participate in dual enrollment and early-college high schools (a highly structured dual-enrollment program) are more likely to enroll in college and graduate.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

High-school students taking college courses for credit will be able to receive Pell Grants for the first time, under an experiment the Education Department announced on Friday.

The announcement occurred just two weeks after the department unveiled another pilot that will allow federal grants and loans to flow to educational-technology companies that team up with colleges to offer coding boot camps, MOOCs, short-term certificates, and other credentials.

More than 1.4 million high-school students took college courses for credit, a process known as dual enrollment, in 2010-11, according to department statistics. Some research suggests that low-income and first-generation students who participate in dual enrollment and early-college high schools (a highly structured dual-enrollment program) are more likely to enroll in college and graduate.

Still, cost can be a barrier for some students; at nearly half of institutions with dual-enrollment programs, most students pay out of pocket for tuition.

Under the pilot, the department will spend up to $20 million on aid for dually enrolled students in the 2016-17 academic year, providing awards to as many as 10,000 low-income students, according to a news release.

ADVERTISEMENT

President Obama has long been an advocate of early college and other dual-enrollment programs, promoting them in his State of the Union address as a faster way for students to earn degrees. But the programs have come under scrutiny recently, with the country’s largest regional accreditor questioning whether high-school teachers in some dual-enrollment programs have the proper qualifications.

In an update to its guidelines issued this month, the Higher Learning Commission reminded the programs that their instructors must have a master’s degrees in the subject they’re teaching, or at least 18 graduate-level credit hours in the specialty. The clarification has left some programs in the accreditor’s Midwestern jurisdiction scrambling to comply.

Kelly Field is a senior reporter covering federal higher-education policy. Contact her at kelly.field@chronicle.com. Or follow her on Twitter @kfieldCHE.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Law & PolicyPolitical Influence & ActivismFirst-Generation Students
Kelly Field
Kelly Field joined The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2004 and covered federal higher-education policy. She continues to write for The Chronicle on a freelance basis.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin