Henry Ford CC, Dearborn Schools Offer Associates Degree One Year Out Of High School

DEARBORN (WWJ) -- Four years of high school and one year of community college can equal an associates degree at no cost under a program announced Tuesday by Henry Ford Community College and the Dearborn Public Schools Collegiate Academy.

This program will begin with the start of the 2013-14 school year Sept. 3. So far, 69 students are enrolled.

Students attending Dearborn High School, Edsel Ford High School and Fordson High School may enter the HFCA at their respective high schools at the beginning of their junior year based on the score of a test taken in the spring of their sophomore year. Students must have attended a Dearborn Public School during their sophomore year to participate in the HFCA. They will take their high school classes at their home high school and their college classes at HFCC.

Students in the program may still participate in all high school activities as participants in the HFCA, from music to theater to clubs to sports to prom to commencement. In addition, students receive access to all of the programs and offerings of a true college experience at HFCC. And while taking classes at HFCC, students will be part of the college's student success program and receive support and encouragement to transfer to a four-year college or university upon completion of their associate's degree.

The Dearborn Public Schools covers the cost of all classes at HFCC, all fees associated with classes or enrollment, as well as the cost of books. There are no costs to parents or students to participate in the HFCA. The students and parents are responsible for transportation to and from HFCC.

HFCC and the Dearborn Public Schools are governed by the same Board of Trustees.

For further information about the HFCA, please visit www.dearbornschools.org.

Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn is a comprehensive public community college serving about 18,000 students. HFCC is dedicated to preparing students for a rapidly changing world and workplace by offering more than 100 associate degree career and university transfer programs. HFCC also specializes in customized workforce development training for business and industry.
Since its founding in 1938, HFCC has been the gateway to higher education for thousands of students who seek affordable, high-quality post-secondary education. To learn more about Henry Ford Community College, visit www.hfcc.edu.

Dearborn Public Schools is the third largest school district in the state, with 19,100 students from preschool through grade 12. More than 2,200 employees are responsible for the 36 educational programs offered in the district. Dearborn Public Schools has been recognized as one of the top districts in the state for raising student achievement above expected levels, according to MDE "Beating the Odds" Reward School designations and Bridge Magazine's 2012 top value-added districts (http://bridgemi.com/2013/01/presenting-bridge's-academic-state-champs-2012). For more information visit www.dearbornschools.org.