District discloses opportunity for students to take college courses

PHOTO: Several Davis High students took classes at Sacramento City College over the summer.

The title of this article was revised on Oct. 21 to correct terminology.

By Priscilla Lee,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

District staff are encouraging more students to enroll in community college courses in their last two years of high school.

Back in May, an announcement was posted on the Davis Joint Unified School District website calling for incoming juniors and seniors who wished to continue their studies through online courses at Sacramento City College over the summer. 

Students have always had the option of taking free community college courses but the district wanted to spread this knowledge so more students were aware of this opportunity, particularly because all classes are currently online. 

Through the advanced education program offered by the Los Rios Community College District, students who have completed their sophomore year with an unweighted GPA of at least 2.7 are able to take up to two college courses per semester by completing an application and contacting their counselor for submission. 

“[The Los Rios Community College District] wanted to promote the idea that community colleges are accessible and that you don’t have to wait for like this magical timeline to start getting interested in your college-going self,” said Troy Allen, Director of Secondary Education and Leadership.

Tuition is waived for high school students attending community college, but a fee for textbooks and any other required materials must be paid by the student. 

These classes go on a student’s permanent college transcript and are taken into account when applying to become a full-time college student. The University of California system considers “academic courses beyond the minimum A-G requirements” and “transferable college courses” in the admissions process, according to the website. However, the importance of these varies for each individual school.

Junior Julie Thomas decided to take two SCC courses this past summer to boost her future college applications.

The experience helped Thomas return to distance learning in August because not only were the courses conveniently on Canvas, it built useful skills for working in a digital environment. “Especially with online school it really helps you [get] into the habit of checking your email often and doing work online,” she said.

Junior Kyler Wyels enrolled at West Los Angeles College over the summer where his sister is currently majoring in psychology. Wyels took an anatomy course and is currently taking a psychology course as a prerequisite for a biological psychology class he plans to take in the spring. He noticed the psychology course takes up more time than his two current high school classes combined but is a good way to get a head start on preparing for college.

“I think it’s a good use of your time; it’s like not too difficult but it’s still […] more experience so you kinda know what to expect in the future,” Wyels said.

Other programs that allow high school juniors and seniors to take college level courses include Accelerated College Entrance (ACE), provided by California State University, Sacramento, and Open Campus, provided by UC Davis.

DJUSD staff plan to send out more information on SCC spring enrollment.

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