High School Students Save on College and Launch Rewarding Careers While Earning Their Diploma

Learn4Life’s dual enrollment programs offer a plethora of opportunities

Dual enrollment courses help high schoolers at Learn4Life earn college credits and prepare for rewarding careers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With college tuition and student loan debt continuing to rise¹, families are looking for help. September is College Savings Month to remind us about the importance of saving for college, and various tax breaks and options to start a college fund.

Another way to save on the cost of college is for students to take dual enrollment courses while they are still in high school. They can earn college credits while they work toward a high school diploma.

Learn4Life, a network of 90+ public high schools, offers dual enrollment programs in a range of industries, from healthcare, trades and culinary to business and information technology.

Learn4Life alumni Summer H. was fascinated by the cognitive development of children – something she had been exploring in college dual enrollment classes while working toward graduation at Learn4Life High Schools.

“We learned about the milestones in cognition for different age groups and how they tie to behavior patterns,” she said. “I want a career where I can contribute to children’s lives by providing the best environment for learning.”

Summer earned a Child Development Professional (CDP) Assistant Permit from West Hills Community College and landed a job at a childcare center.

The career opportunities are wide open, from working as a nanny or in a daycare center, to pursuing degrees in teaching or even child psychology.

“Our schools offer personalized instruction that is tailored to each student. We work with them to find a career path that fits their skills and interests,” said Shellie Hanes, Learn4Life superintendent of schools. “Many teens are not even thinking about college until we show them the possibilities. With dual enrollment, they can explore various careers in the safe environment of our high schools.”

Hanes points out that students who are enrolled in dual enrollment programs are more excited about coming to school and do better in all their subjects than students who don’t.

“Plus, they are learning how to self-motivate and complete the coursework in a timely manner,” Hanes said. “It’s wonderful to see how students find something they like and pursue it with a passion.”

For more information, visit www.Learn4Life.org.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 64,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

¹ https://educationdata.org/cost-of-a-college-class-or-credit-hour#:~:text=The%20average%20public%2C%204%2Dyear,hour%20or%20%24426%20per%20course