Early College

Southern’s Early College Program offers academically qualified high school students the opportunity to earn college credit by enrolling in courses either at their high school (concurrent enrollment) or on Southern’s campus (dual enrollment), subject to seat availability. For more information, please review the policies below and visit the Early College website.

Admission

To be eligible to apply to Southern's Early College program, students must:

  • Be in their junior or senior year of high school
  • Have a minimum 3.0 GPA (B average)
  • And/or receive a recommendation from their high school counselor

Once approved by a high school counselor to take an Early College course, students must complete and submit the Early College Application.

COURSE Enrollment

Early College students may explore courses in fields such as healthcare, business, education, science, and the arts, and can earn up to 30 college credits applicable toward a degree. Students are classified as part-time, non-matriculated (non-degree seeking) and may enroll in:

  • Up to two courses during the fall semester
  • Up to two courses during the spring semester
  • One course during a summer intersession

Once you are approved, students requesting enrollment on their application in a course offered at their high school will be registered automatically. Students requesting enrollment in a course offered at Southern will receive an acceptance email from Southern's Early College Office with further instructions regarding registration.

Grades and Transcripts

Students may earn dual credit for approved courses. Grades will appear on both the high school transcript and the official Southern transcript. Please note:

  • Courses taken through Early College are recorded on the SCSU transcript and count as attempted credit in the SCSU GPA.
  • The grade recorded on the high school transcript may differ based on the high school’s grading policy.
  • Credits earned at SCSU are transferable to any public Connecticut State College or University. Acceptance of these credits by other institutions is at their discretion.

STUDENT SERVICES

While Early College students have access to many campus services available to matriculated students, they are not eligible for on-campus housing or financial aid.