Highlands senior graduates from CCAC Dual Enrollment program before earning high school diploma

For Alex Lane McCants, earning a college certificate before graduating from high school was a no-brainer.

A Highlands senior, McCants is one of 11 regional students to participate in the Dual Enrollment program at Community College of Allegheny County. Other students attend Pine-Richland, Montour, Allderdice and Baldwin, among others.

Open to juniors and seniors, the initiative provides students with college-level classes — free or low-cost — before they earn a high school diploma.

“It’s a big head start,” said McCants of Brackenridge. “It has saved me about $6,000, and I appreciate the experience of getting to learn this stuff early.”

The CCAC Dual Enrollment program offers three tracks — Standard, University Academy and BNY Early College — and in some cases enables students to earn a two-year associate degree.

Students can attend classes online or at one of the school’s four campuses. There are nearly 950 high school students in CCAC Dual Enrollment.

Dorothy Collins, vice president of enrollment services and student affairs, said the program requires diligence, but the payoff is worth it.

“It takes a lot of persistence and determination,” Collins said. “They’re working on college courses as well as a high school diploma. That’s double duty.

“It speaks a high volume of what kind of students they are.”

Not only do high school students gain college credits, they get a jump start on the college experience, putting them on a path to future success, Collins said.

“It’s a very good way for these students to earn a certificate or degree,” Collins said. “They can use the certificate to continue on at CCAC or take it to another university. It’s less you have to take if you decide to continue on with your education.

“Or they can use it to apply for a job.”

CCAC doesn’t require entrance exams, and there’s no fee to apply. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, so credits transfer to schools across the country.

McCants began the BNY Early College Program in his junior year at Highlands, participating online and earning a business management certificate.

He’s used to virtual learning, McCants said. He has attended school online since the covid-19 pandemic and believes it might have given him an edge in managing his college courses.

“It made it a little easier for me. I like having control over my schedule,” he said. “I know I have to get my high school work done and then move on to college stuff.

“I think the whole experience helped me be successful moving forward.”

Classes and materials were free for McCants. In 2020, BNY announced a $20 million multiyear commitment to workforce development programming at CCAC and the City University of New York.

Courses are offered in professional tracks of accounting, business and computer information technology.

After celebrating his Highlands graduation Friday, McCants intends to pursue a computer science degree at CCAC for two years and then finish at a four-year school.

“On top of it all, you get paid for good grades,” McCants said. “I’ve gotten several checks from BNY — they pay $200 for an A.”