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What is Early College High School?
Early College High School classes offered by the University of Utah/AMES Partnership provide an option for prepared AMES high school students to take courses that earn both high school and college credit.
This program is open to AMES high school juniors and seniors (sophomores may be admitted on a case-by-case basis). Students may attempt up to 30 credits hours per year and may not repeat any one of these courses at the AMES campus.
Credit hours earned shall be transferable from one Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) institution to another. Students should seek advice from a college academic advisor to make course choices that meet their educational goals and transfer as equivalent credit.
Participation in this program is not considered early enrollment in college.
- AMES students are non-matriculated students. They have not applied to have an undergraduate career at the University of Utah.
- AMES students are generally classified as non-residents, since no paperwork was required that would verify residency.
- Concurrent enrollment is not free. All parties sacrifice to make this partnership happen. AMES pays, the University of Utah pays, tax payers pay.
- Students are limited to 30 concurrent enrollment credit hours per year regardless of who is awarding the credit.
What are the benefits of Early College courses?
- Serious and motivated students can save a lot of money on tuition. Concurrent enrolment courses start at $10 per college credit hour. Most courses range from 3 to 4 college credit hours so you typically pay between $30 to $40 per concurrent course once you have applied to the college. Some high school classes may also have additional lab fees for materials, depending on the course.
- Motivated students can save a lot of time. Some students wish to get through college as quickly as possible. Taking the specific courses you need for your future degree can save you not only tuition, but also time. You may be able to trim one or more semesters off your college degree if you plan correctly.
- You get to experience the rigors of college courses. This will help you make a connection at the college and learn the language there before you attend in the near future.
What may be bad about Early College Courses?
- They may not be for everyone. If you are not ready to be serious about your college work or not willing to dedicate the time needed to do college work, you should not enroll in Early College courses. Doing so can jeopardize your future opportunity to attend a university because you will be creating a college transcript which will follow you the rest of your life. Students with poor grades from an Early College course can be kept from some future scholarships, grant funds, or even student loans.
- College courses may not be like high school courses you have taken. Most college courses require up to 2 hours of homework for everyone hour you spend in class. If you are not ready to dedicate your time don’t take an Early College course. Sadly, last year 847 students across the state overestimated their commitment to put in the necessary time and received failing grades in concurrent enrollment courses.
Are Early College Courses Right for You?
Many students may be afraid of a college or university, especially those attending as the first person in their family. These feelings of intimidation and fear may keep some students away from college because they doubt their own potential. You should consult with teachers, parents, counselors, and advisors if you doubt your abilities. Everyone should be aware of the many resources high schools and colleges have to help students succeed. Even the best students can struggle sometimes; however, they dig in and make it work.
Last year, students in Utah high schools earned 30,000+ state university credits.
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Steps to enroll in U of U classes at AMES
University Email Account
- When you are entered into the University System, a university email account (umail) is created for you.
- Any notification from the University will come to this umail account.
- Review your umail account often because all important correspondence from the University goes to this account. This email account can be also forwarded to your personal email.