NTC partners with MHS to offer transcripted credits

With the start of another school year, students are back to class and hitting the books, but some of those books are actually doing double duty.

Merrill High School and Northcentral Technical College (NTC) have partnered again this year to offer transcripted credit classes, an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to enroll in and complete associate degree and technical diploma course work while fulfilling high school graduation requirements.

Courses are taught at the high school by certified high school instructors who follow NTC's curriculum and competencies in their classroom and have no tuition cost for the student or the school district. That means students can earn both high school and college credit without ever leaving their high school classroom.

Last year, 239 Merrill students enrolled in NTC's transcripted credit program, saving the students and their families more than $26,732 in tuition costs. Students are able to apply the credit they earned to one of NTC's 150-plus program options or transfer their credit to another college or university where NTC has an existing articulation agreement.

Dawn Jameson, Business & Information Technology Instructor, sees the value of transcripted credit for her students.

"Giving students the opportunity to start their post-secondary education while in high school just makes sense," Jameson said. "Not only does it save the students money and time, but it also provides them curriculum that is relevant and rigorous to their potential career choice. Many colleges want to see students taking classes that are challenging in high school.

"Being certified to teach seven different transcripted credit classes through NTC, my students have the opportunity to earn 22 credits in the Business & Information Technology Department alone. This doesn't include the seven other instructors who offer transcripted credit classes at Merrill High School. What a great opportunity for the students and a great savings to the parents."

Transcripted credit is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to experience college level coursework at their high school. These courses offer a cost-effective way for students to get a jump-start on earning a college credential, and provide them with skills and knowledge that will lead to employment.

NTC, along with Wisconsin's other 15 technical colleges, has offered dual enrollment opportunities, free of charge, for high school students for more than 30 years. Merrill High School is one of the many high schools in NTC's district participating in the transcripted credit program. NTC continues to look for opportunities to expand and partner with area school districts to ensure that local students have the ability to excel no matter what their future may hold.

For more information about transcripted credit opportunities at Merrill High School, contact your high school counselor or Karen Akey, Career Coach at NTC, at akey@ntc.edu.

Karen Akey is a Career Coach at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. She works with the students at staff at Merrill High School.