Highly motivated online high school students have an opportunity to earn a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in six years.
Imagine graduating with both a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree in just six years, ready to conquer the world and pursue dreams with confidence.
Texas Tech University and TTU K-12 have teamed up to offer dual credit courses to Texas Tech High School students. The addition of dual credit also brings the unveiling of the six-year Texas Tech University College Preparatory Academy, through which students can earn a high school diploma and bachelor's degree in leadership studies in a compressed timeframe, saving students and their families time and money in the educational process.
Administrators at both institutions understand the value of time and the importance of a quality education, which is why they've designed a comprehensive pathway that allows students to seamlessly transition from high school to higher education and complete a degree in record time.
TTU K-12 Principal Cari Moye says the drive to create this academy came from wanting to offer an advanced track for highly motivated students that truly sets them apart and to partner with the university on this innovative program.
“I believe the academic rigor and the learning process of navigating self-paced courses prepares students for their college journey,” Moye said. “Students will be able to choose al a carte (individual courses), or they can apply to be a part of our prestigious College Preparatory Academy that will land them at more than 60 college credit hours upon completion.”
Moye explained students then will have the option to continue online to earn a Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies if they choose, essentially earning their high school diploma and college degree in only six years.
“Education is the key to unlocking endless possibilities, and at Texas Tech University, we're dedicated to making those possibilities accessible to all,” said Brian Still, vice provost for Texas Tech University Online, the division that houses TTU K-12. “By prioritizing affordability and efficiency, we're laying the foundation for lifelong success and fulfilling our mission to transform lives through education.”
More about Dual Credit
According to a 2010 report by The Texas Tribune, the number of dual credit students — those who take college courses while still in high school — across Texas had ballooned from fewer than 12,000 in 1999 to more than 91,000.
By fall 2021, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) reported more than 186,000 students officially enrolled in dual credit courses across all institutions in Texas.
Texas Tech offers collegiate-level courses for simultaneous college and high school credit for eligible students in its college service area. The university promotes access to academic and workforce education courses while ensuring the content of the courses and the expectations for student performance are truly collegiate. In areas of transcription, credit, application or content, dual credit courses are not differentiated from other college-level courses.
Texas Tech University College Preparatory Academy
Through Texas Tech and TTU K-12's new college prep academy, students enroll in a specific educational track tailored to ninth- and 10th-grade students in Texas Tech High School, staying on that prescribed pathway for the program's duration. After taking a combination of high school courses and dual credit courses, students graduate TTU K-12 and then apply to Texas Tech's Leadership Studies program to finish their last two years (years five and six). Students will have a success coach to answer their questions.
Texas Tech Dual Credit (Individual Courses)
Students in either of the TTU K-12 full-time programs (free tuition or paying tuition) can enroll in dual credit courses approved by their assigned TTU K-12 adviser. At the end of each course, TTU K-12 will receive a grade from Texas Tech and add credit to the high school transcript. Students will pay individually per course.