Moving Forward

The U.S. Department of Education has selected LSU-Eunice as one of only 44 postsecondary institutions nationwide to participate in an experimental program to allow high school students to take courses for college credit.

About $20 million in federal Pell Grants will be available to low-income high school students in 23 states, a Department of Education news release says. Most of the participating schools are two-year colleges.

“This pilot program will give St. Landry Parish students the opportunity to begin their college careers early when they otherwise might not have been able to do so,” LSU Eunice Chancellor Kimberly A. Russell said. “Their success will greatly impact the parish and our local communities, and we are thrilled to be a part of this Department of Education experimental program.”

LSUE will partner with the St. Landry Parish School Board to begin a dual enrollment health care academy for high school students interested in science, medical or allied careers.

The academy will serve all St. Landry Parish high school students. The parish is home to 83,000 residents with a median household income of $32,000. Twenty-eight percent are living below the poverty line, and 37 percent of those individuals are under the age of 18. Federal Pell Grants are available to students from families with annual incomes of $50,000 or less. Unlike student loans, the Pell grants — which are generally available only to undergraduate students at postsecondary institutions — do not have to be paid back.

LSU President F. King Alexander said the program “marks a great step forward” toward increasing access to college courses for all students, “and we look forward to seeing its results.”

In announcing the program, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that a postsecondary education “is one of the most important investments students can make in their future. Yet the cost of this investment is higher than ever, creating a barrier to access for some students, particularly those from low-income families.”

Duncan noted that earning a college degree “is an increasingly important step towards entering the middle class.”  By 2020, approximately 35 percent of job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, and another 30 percent will require at least an associate’s degree or some college, according to federal data, but, Duncan said, “many high school students—especially those from low-income backgrounds—lack access to the rigorous coursework and support services that help prepare students for success in college.”

U.S. Education Undersecretary Ted Mitchell said dual enrollment programs are “powerful ways to …  and show these students that they are smart enough, talented enough, and prepared enough to tackle higher education.”  He said the programs could be “game changers for all students — especially those who are first-generation or from low-income families.”

LSU-Eunice spokesman Van Reed said the program will be rolled out in time for the 2016-17 school year, with the details of the program still being worked out with the St. Landry Parish School Board.

Louisiana ranks 49th in the nation in terms of degree attainment, and studies have shown that persons with a college degree can earn up to a million dollars more than those with a high school diploma over the course of a career.