High schools, students welcome at Advanced Scholars event April 6

An April 6 event at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln welcomes high school students, their parents and high school administration, to learn more about a UNL program that gives high school students an opportunity to earn college credit from UNL at a reduced tuition rate.

The Advanced Scholars program, which began in spring 2006, allows high school students to take online classes taught by UNL faculty. These classes count as college credit for the students taking them, and sometimes double as high school credits as well. While most students taking these courses are located in Nebraska, the program welcomed its first students from Iowa and South Dakota last fall.

Students, parents, guidance counselors and administrators interested in learning more about Advanced Scholars are invited to attend "Advanced Scholars: The University Experience," 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on the UNL campus.

Morning sessions will include a course demonstration and student panel, with current and past students sharing their experiences in the program. Attendees can also visit with Advanced Scholars instructors who will help them prepare for the Advanced Scholars program and their future as a college student. Afternoon sessions include a UNL Admissions visit and campus tour. To register for the April 6 event, go to http://advancedscholars.unl.edu/UniversityExperience and complete the registration form by April 1. Registration is free.

For high school students, Advanced Scholars provides an early opportunity to experience college courses with support from both the program and their own high school. "Taking college level courses during high school proved to be very worthwhile. Not only did I get a feel of what some of my college courses may be like when I would finally get there, but I started out ahead of the game," stated Morgan Densberger, a UNL freshman and previous Advanced Scholars student.

Eligibility requirements for the Advanced Scholars program are:

* Senior or junior standing or high ability and permission of the high school counselor and principal;

* Grade-point-average of B or higher and an ACT composite score of 22 or higher.

Tuition for Advanced Scholars courses is about half the in-state, on-campus tuition rate, and a third of the cost for non-resident students.

Since its inception in 2006, 466 students have completed courses through Advanced Scholars. More than 95 Nebraska high schools across the state as well as a few in Iowa and in South Dakota have partnered with UNL to offer these online courses to their students. A list of currently participating partner high schools is available at http://advancedscholars.unl.edu/educator/current_school_list.shtml.

For more information about the Advanced Scholars program, contact your high school guidance counselor, visit http://advancedscholars.unl.edu, or call Rhnissa Decker at (402) 472-1131.