Pierpont Community and Technical College unveils One Walk, Two Degrees program
The One Walk, Two Degrees program is a partnership between Pierpont Community and Technical College, Barbour County, and Preston County Schools that will allow high school students to earn an associate degree simultaneously with their high school diploma.
Recently Pierpont Community and Technical College signed multiple agreements for its brand new College Academy with Preston County Schools and Barbour County.
The Pierpont College Academy is expected to welcome its first round of students in the coming fall semester. The academy is a program that lets high school students take college-level classes through Pierpont Community and Technical College which will let them graduate with an associate degree in Liberal Arts at the same time as they complete their high school degree. The One Walk, Two Degrees program will allow for participating students to get both honors during their high school graduation.
In an article posted on the college’s website, Michelle Fleming, director of federal programs and manager of secondary instruction with Barbour County Schools, talked about the new opportunity for students, saying, “The students in Barbour County are incredibly intelligent, resilient and ambitious. They will thrive given the opportunities that Pierpont Community & Technical College has to offer in allowing our amazing students to walk across the graduation
stage with two diplomas. We encourage all students at Philip Barbour High School to take
advantage of this opportunity within the hallways of their own high school.”
Students participating in the One Walk, Two Degrees program will only be charged $25 per credit hour, which will save them hundreds of dollars on the cost of tuition.
Pierpont Community and Technical College’s interim President Dr. Kathleen Nelson talked about the importance of making college-level classes affordable, saying, “We know the burden that tuition payments can place on students and their families. But with our new One Walk, Two Degrees program, students can earn their degrees at a fraction of the cost of a traditional college going experience.”
Those who take part in the One Walk, Two Degrees program do not have to be finished with their academic journey after they finish the program. Students will be able to pursue either another associate degree, or take the credit they earned and move on to a four-year institution.
Dr. Joni Gray, transitional education specialist at Pierpont Community and Technical College, talked about the benefits of the program for students looking to earn a bachelor or higher degree, saying, “Any student completing this program will earn many of the general education courses for a four-year institution. This means a student can jump right in and focus on selected major classes after high school.”
More information about Pierpont Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.