KENTUCKY — A new report out of Frankfort shows Kentucky's dual-credit program is growing, with nearly half of all high school graduates now earning college credit before they leave high school.
The report shows 47.5% of high school graduates are earning college credit through dual-credit classes, and low-income students are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity.
Aaron Thompson with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education said access hasn't always been equal.
"As a low income kid from the hills of Kentucky, I will tell you there's a greater chance if you're low income that you're not gonna go to college," Thompson said.
New changes to the program, including 10 free dual-credit classes available to every student, are helping to close that gap.
"We've increased that population group by over 20 percent," Thompson said.
Thompson said the classes give students a preview of what college academics look like.
"You get to try college a little bit, especially the academic elements of college," Thompson said.
At George Rogers Clark High School in Clark County, more than 500 students participated in dual-credit classes last year. Teachers there say the benefits go beyond finances.
Rachelle Thompson, a dual-credit teacher at the school, said the classes help students prepare for what's ahead.
"It lets them test the waters of the general education classes," Rachelle Thompson said.
The savings can be significant. Some students graduate high school with enough credits to enter college as a first-semester sophomore.
"There are several students who graduate high school with enough credits to go to college as a first semester sophomore," Rachelle Thompson said.
Dual Credit teacher teacher Carrie Reeder said the program is also changing students' perceptions of what's possible.
"The next thing I know they're actually going to college," Reeder said.
Reeder added that the financial impact is real for families.
"The shorter you're at that college level, the more money you're gonna save in the long run," Reeder said.
