Distinctively Stockton

Summer 2024 Issue

High school students at environmental science transfer day using science equipment in classroom at Stockton. — Distinctively Stockton

Dual Credit Program Offers High Schoolers College Head Start

Stockton has created one of the most extensive high school dual credit programs in New Jersey, offering dual credit courses in 59 New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware high schools to nearly 2,700 students during the 2023-24 school year.

The program gives students a jump-start on college by allowing them to simultaneously earn college credits while completing their high school course requirements.

Students participating get a reduced tuition rate of $100 per credit or $400 for each four-credit course, with all additional fees waived. In comparison, a four-credit course at Stockton normally costs about $2,450.

The program's importance was spotlighted at the May Board of Trustees meeting, where students from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) spoke about the impact this program had on their higher education experience, allowing them a smooth pathway to Stockton.

students in the Muslim Student Association tabling in the Academic Spine — High school students examine samples they collected around Lake Fred. |*Photo by Susan Allen '09, '14*

A large group of faculty, staff and students in the new Meditation Room — Students from Cedar Creek, Absegami and Oakcrest high schools take a walk around Lake Fred, learning about the vast ecosystem it creates. | *Photo by Susan Allen '09, '14*

Sophomore Nick Guerriero, an Environmental Science major from Surf City, said the dual credit courses he took at the MATES in Stafford Township gave him a head start on his college degree.

"I graduated last May from MATES. Most of the classes I took for college credit aligned with Stockton's Environmental Science classes, and I came in a full year ahead. The cost was affordable, and it was a worthwhile investment," Guerriero said.

In December 2023, the first Environmental Science and Dual-Credit Program Outreach Event allowed Absegami, Cedar Creek and Oakcrest high school students to visit Stockton.

The event, created by Shawn Manuola, the administrator of Stockton's high school dual-credit program, and Jessica Hallagan, associate professor of Environmental Science, gave the high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to visit classrooms on campus, meet faculty and ask questions about the different parts of the environmental sciences, such as wildlife ecology, hydrology, water quality and soil science.

Learn more about Stockton's Dual Credit Program here.