Photo above: by Matt Sharp, showing students getting prepared during study hall for their upcoming dual enrollment classes.

GJHS Dual Enrollment Program is a Great Head Start for Students

BY LEA GREEN GJHS JOURNALIST

Greater Johnstown High School has an awesome program that is optional for all students. It’s called the dual enrollment program, which allows students to take college course classes, for college credits, while being in high school. Although this is a national offering, our courses are affiliated with the local colleges of  Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Pittsburgh University, and Mount Aloysius. I am involved in dual enrollment, and the only requirement I had was to pay the twenty-five dollar payment, and keep my grades at an A to C level.

I’ve been taking advantage of this since my sophomore year. I already took Spanish, sociology, psychology, English composition, world history, and so many more. I am now in my senior year, and I still am thoroughly involved in this beneficial program.

There are a total of twenty-two dual enrollment classes offered at Greater Johnstown High School through which a student can earn college credits, and there are at least 300 students enrolled in at least one dual enrollment class  this year. For each class, you can receive at least three to four credits. Science classes are four and calculus is four, while the rest you can receive up to three credits, except for journalism which is one credit per year but for up to three years. These credits surely add up. With all the classes I have taken as dual enrollment, I already received twenty-seven college credits. 

Classes are transferable to most colleges and universities that our students choose to attend, so they aren’t required to take these classes once transferred to the school of their choice and can therefore begin college often as a sophomore. This not only saves a college-bound student like myself thousands of dollars, but also it allows time for expanded resume builders such as pursuing a double  major while in college. 

I, personally, would like to thank Greater Johnstown High School and participating colleges and universities, for allowing students like myself to take advantage of this unique opportunity, and for always pushing me to be at my best. This program is so helpful and is a great head start for getting prepared for college in a financially smart way.  I feel fortunate  to be a student at GJHS.