When Lawton Public Schools students Bailey Anderson, Alyssia Diaz, Gabriella O’Brien and Nicolas Raso receive their high school diplomas in late May, they will do so with a distinction that sets them apart from their peers. Each has already earned a college degree, thanks to enrolling at Cameron University as a concurrent student.
Anderson and Raso, who both attend MacArthur High School, have each earned an Associate in Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, as has Diaz, who attends Lawton High School. Eisenhower High School’s Gabriella O’Brien has completed requirements for an Associate in Science degree in Business.
They’re among almost 800 high school juniors and seniors throughout southwest Oklahoma who chose to get a head-start on a college degree by taking concurrent classes through Cameron.
“The number of concurrent students at Cameron continues to grow,” says Kyle Jarman, Director of Academic Services. “We have a wonderful partnership with Lawton Public Schools which allows us to offer in-person concurrent courses in the district’s Life Ready Center, providing easy access to LPS students. Should scheduling prevent them from taking classes at that location, they can also take classes on the Cameron campus.”
Thanks to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, eligible concurrent students can receive tuition waivers (up to 18 credit hours during senior year of high school and up to nine credit hours during junior year of high school). Some school districts – such as Lawton Public Schools – pay for classes beyond those covered by the tuition waivers. LPS also pays for other costs associated with concurrent classes, such as mandatory fees, books, parking permits and student I.D. In fact, many school districts offer additional assistance to help students continue classes in pursuit of a degree.
LPS isn’t the only school district where in-person concurrent classes are offered on school grounds. Students at Cache High School and Duncan High School can take classes on-site as well.
Concurrent classes are available to students in rural communities, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provided Cameron with the means to establish a distance-learning network in 28 rural high schools throughout southwest Oklahoma. The program allows the university to provide instruction directly to select schools in Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Garvin, Jefferson, Kiowa, Stephens and Tillman counties through interactive video technology. The program provides easy access for students, some of whom may not have reliable internet connectivity that is needed for online classes at their home.
Concurrent classes are offered in general education disciplines, including English, U.S. history and government, psychology, sociology, humanities, science, mathematics and algebra.
Students and parents interested in enrolling in concurrent classes are encouraged to talk to the applicable counselor at their respective schools. More information can also be found at https://www.cameron.edu/admissions/concurrently-enrolled-students.
As for Anderson, Diaz, O’Brien and Raso, each plans to pursue a baccalaureate degree. As they embark on the next leg of their respective educational journeys, each can take pride in earning a college degree while in high school.
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