Local High School Student to Graduate with Tuition-Free College Credit
Daniel Acree, Roanoke Rapids High School/Nash Community College Dually Enrolled Student
Did you know high school juniors and seniors can earn college credits and employment credentials tuition-free while enrolled in the Career and College Promise program? In the program, students take courses in pathways leading to a certificate, diploma, degree, or state or industry-recognized credential.
“My decision to enroll in Nash Community College’s Career and College Promise program was one of the best decisions I could have made,” Daniel Acree said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have completed 64 tuition-free, college credit hours before graduating from high school.”
Acree is a Roanoke Rapids High School senior. He plans to graduate from both the high school and Nash Community College this spring.
Career & College Promise pathways offer students rigorous and relevant course work designed to engage their interests and help them achieve educational and career goals. For students interested in technical careers and post-secondary education, the courses they encounter as part of a pathway will align closely with the level of work that will be expected of them after finishing high school.
“The dual enrollment program has allowed me to have two years of college completed and all of my general education requirements going into a university,” Acree said. “Being able to complete so many credits, not only has saved me money on college tuition but has paved the way for me to be able to double major and finish college on schedule, and still study abroad one summer.”
Acree will be attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the fall with plans to double major in Education and Finance. “I hope to become a teacher and work to obtain my master’s degree in Educational Administration as well as become a Certified Real Estate Agent,” he said. “After that, I hope to earn a doctorate in Educational Administration, with a goal of being a middle school or high school principal. I aspire to one day become a superintendent of a public school system in North Carolina.”
“In addition to a college transfer pathway, Career and College Promise students may also choose from Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways to work toward an entry-level job credential, certificate, or diploma in a technical career,” NCC Career and College Promise Director Dr. Mindi Collins said.
“If a student completes 24 credits at NCC,” Collins said, “they will potentially have completed one year at a four-year college. At a public institution, that would save them roughly $8,000 to $10,000 in tuition. At a private institution, they could save $30,000 to $32,000.”
“The best part about being a dually enrolled student is that I have had the opportunity to get a feel of college classes before graduating high school and having the opportunity to further my education in a much quicker time span,” Acree said. “Although it takes hard work, dedication, and a time commitment to take dual enrollment classes on top of high school classes, extracurricular activities, and part-time jobs, the feeling you get when you see your transcript at the end of each semester to know your one step closer to your goal, is the best feeling.”
Nash Community College’s Career and College Promise (CCP) Program is offered through a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, N.C. Community Colleges, the University of North Carolina System and many independent colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.nashcc.edu/ccp, or students may reach out to their high school counselor or contact Dr. Collins at 252-451-8473, mocollins197@nashcc.edu.
