The gist
College of the Mainland’s Collegiate High School will have 301 students enrolled in the fall semester, which exceeded fall 2021 and fall 2022’s enrollment numbers by 30%, according to the release.
The program allows college-ready high school students to earn an associate degree while they also pursue a high school diploma, according to the release. It also waives some of the tuition and fees associated with college classes.
Collegiate High School Director Sandi Belcher described the Collegiate High School program in the release as the “best-kept secret in Galveston County.”
“They’re still high school students; we’re just borrowing them for a couple years,” she said in the release.
What else?
Collegiate High School is one of three early college programs offered by College of the Mainland, according to the release.
One such program is dual credit, which allows students to receive both college and high school credit.
Dual Credit Director Anne Dickens said taking classes at the high school saves students time and money, as students are “taking one class and getting credit for two.”
The other program, titled Early College High School, is through Texas City ISD and is targeted as economically disadvantaged students, according to the release. It also provides a path to an associate degree.
TCISD spokesperson Melissaa Tortorici in the release said the program “offers more opportunities” to students.
“Many students in the program are the first in their family to attend college,” Tortorici said in the release.
