The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) have teamed up to launch a tuition-free Early College program for rising high school seniors. The pilot program, available for the 2023-2024 academic year, will be open to 20 students in Calvert County, with five students from each of the county’s four high schools.
Students accepted into the program will be enrolled in both CSM and their high school during their senior year and will attend classes in person at the Prince Frederick Campus. The program allows students to work towards a 31-credit General Studies certification program to complete transferable college credits and their high school diploma requirements at the same time. Classes will be offered in 15-week sessions.
CSM Provost and Vice President of Learning Dr. Rodney Redmond said, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Calvert County students to experience being a full-time college student, save money, and earn a full year’s worth of college credits. We are thrilled to join Calvert County in offering this opportunity to broaden college accessibility.”
CCPS Superintendent Dr. Andraé Townsel added, “We are excited to partner with the College of Southern Maryland to expand our instructional opportunities for our students. This program provides multiple benefits for our high school seniors, including a head start on their college coursework at no cost, as well as helps prepare them for their post-secondary experience.”
Students in the Early College program will attend class at the Prince Frederick Campus Monday through Thursday from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. They will have access to CSM facilities and resources, as well as a comprehensive network of support services provided by both CSM and the home high school. The seniors will take a school bus from their homes to the Calvert County Career and Technology Academy in Prince Frederick and then take a shuttle to the Prince Frederick Campus each day.
To be eligible for the 2023-2024 Early College program, students must be a rising senior, have an unweighted high school GPA of 2.75 or better, have completed Algebra 2 with a grade of C or higher by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, have completed all of their student service-learning requirements by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, have completed all state testing requirements by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, and have completed two credits of World Language or another pathway for graduation by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
Applications for Early College are being accepted now through March 24. For more information, visit www.csmd.edu/earlycollege/calvert.