27 Members of Century High School Class of 2024 Also Earn Associate of Arts Degrees from Santa Ana College
Money-Saving Academic Feat Made Possible Through Early College Program
Twenty-seven hard-working members of the Class of 2024 at Santa Ana's Century High School (CHS) are earning more than just a high school diploma. They are also taking home 32 associate of arts (AA) degrees between them, as part of their enrollment in the Early College Program in partnership with Santa Ana College (SAC).
Most of the 27 students earned an AA in Arts, Humanities & Communications, but three students earned two AAs and one earned three AAs. They were recently honored at a celebration for CHS Early College All Stars.
“With 27 students achieving a total of 32 degrees, it underscores their exceptional dedication and academic prowess, as well as the support and guidance provided by our educators," said Mireya Vazquez, early college architect, lead counselor and college advisor at CHS.
Early college and dual enrollment programs have been in place nationwide for three decades but are becoming popular in California since the passage of AB288 in 2015, which expanded the programs in California community colleges, said Matthew Valerius, associate dean for Career Education and Dual Enrollment at SAC.
Valerius said he sees dual enrollment programs as a tool for equity, adding that students get a jump start on college, effectively saving two years of tuition.
“It is probably the most effective college access and success strategy that exists," he added.
The Early College Program at CHS is offered free to students and courses are taught by qualified high school teachers who are hired as part-time college faculty members, as well as instructors from SAC. Vazquez said more than 300 CHS students enroll in college courses each semester.
According to Vazquez, the program attracts students of all types who see the benefit of getting some college courses under their belt. CHS students benefit from the traditional high school setting and experiences, while also taking college courses, earning college credits, and fulfilling general education requirements.
“It makes the students look a lot more competitive when they transfer to college, in terms of rigor," she added.
The financial benefits to students and their families are significant, Valerius said.
“For example, tuition and fees alone at Universities of California are approximately $14,000 a year, so students who earn their AA while in high school potentially save their family nearly $30,000," he said.
“They can use the savings for a master's degree," Vazquez added.
She said 26 of the 27 AA recipients in the CHS Class of 2024 plan to attend a variety of colleges and universities, including Davidson College, University of California, Irvine; Cal Poly Pomona; California State University, Fullerton; Chapman University; University of California, Los Angeles; California State University, Long Beach; University of California, San Diego; and University of California, Davis. The remaining AA recipient is entering the U.S. Army.
While the CHS Early College Program offers a full AA option, Valerius said SAC currently has a variety of free Early College Programs in place at most high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District. He encouraged high school students to ask their guidance counselors for information or visit SAC's Dual Enrollment webpage.
Dual Enrollment at SAC is also available to any high school student in California, thanks to online and weekend courses.
“We invite students from across California to take courses with us," said Basti Lopez De La Luz, Student Services Coordinator for Dual Enrollment at SAC. “We're flexible and equity-minded, and we strive to provide various course modalities to make this program accessible to as many students as possible."
