Fitchburg State University recently received a $40,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support its dual enrollment program, expanding opportunities for local high school students to take credit-bearing, college-level courses.
Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced the grant award this week in a letter to Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus.
“We want to thank you for your commitment to increasing college participation through dual enrollment activities, particularly for low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation college students,” the award letter stated. “Through this funding and your continued support, we hope to expand access to great educational opportunities for every student in the Commonwealth.”
“This Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership grant will provide transformative experiences for 75 high school students, and we are grateful for the state support to continue and expand these opportunities,” President Lapidus said. “We know this program opens doors for students by letting them experience college-level coursework while still in high school, and helps them get started on realizing their educational aspirations.”
The CDEP program provides opportunities for high school students to take college-level courses and earn credit toward high school completion and their future college degrees. Additionally, CDEP eases the transition from high school to college, allows students to get a head start on their college careers, and provides meaningful and challenging academic experiences to qualified students who otherwise may not have access to an early college experience. The primary objective of CDEP is to increase the population of high school graduates who are college ready.
In the 2022-23 academic year, the CDEP program at Fitchburg State supported 117 students in earning 276 academic credits. Including Fitchburg State’s Early College program, 340 high school students completed 1,020 credits last year. Fitchburg State’s primary partners in the program are the Athol High School, Clinton High School, the Fitchburg Public Schools, Gardner Public Schools, Leominster Public Schools, Narragansett Regional High School and the Sizer School.
Learn more about Fitchburg State’s dual enrollment and early college programs at https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/admissions-and-aid/undergraduate-admissions/dual-enrollment.