College enrollment made easy

The program allowing students to register for college at their high schools is attributed to an 11.8 percent increase in enrollment since last year at Western Nevada Community College.

"They get placement testing with a counselor, pick a major, pick classes, get financial aid and register all on site," said Dick Kale, Western Nevada's coordinator of academic and student affairs. "All they have to do is show up for class."

Besides the Bridge to Success program initiated last spring to make it easier for students to get signed up for college, Western Nevada Community College offers several programs to help high school students get a jump on college education.

Dual credit is a program that allows students to earn both college and high school credits simultaneously. The program helps students to maximize their educational potential by offering courses not available at the high school.

"The Douglas County School District has a list of 300 classes on the community college Web site that high school students can take if they want to get ahead of the game," said Kale. "If they're missing a credit, they can take classes with us to catch up. Some want to graduate early and some want to get English and math out of the way."

A list of approved dual credit courses for both Douglas and Churchill high schools is on the community college's Web site, wncc.edu or in high school counselors' offices.

"Douglas High School offers more dual credit courses than any other high school," Kale said. "Parents would also be interested in Fast Track where high school students can take Internet classes for credit."

Fast Track courses are distance education courses offered to high school students via Internet or interactive video. There is a limited number of these courses but the list includes college required classes such as English 98, World Literature II, calculus and math.

Fast Track classes cost $25 with a $15 interactive video fee.

To obtain a high school authorization form, or to view Fast Track or dual credit courses for the current semester, contact a high school counselor or call the WNCC counseling office at (775) 445-3267.