A.C. Jones High School tenth-graders were called on stage during a ceremony held at Coastal Bend College in their honor. Each student was given a golden passport. The ceremony was the inaugural step in what local educators hope is a commitment to higher education.

The purpose of the program, hosted by Beeville Independent School District and Coastal Bend College, was to celebrate the achievements of the students and to get them in a mindset for college. For many students, this opportunity was the first for them to visit a college campus. After the ceremony, students were given a tour of the campus and a CBC identification card. They attended workshops about academic and workforce programs offered through CBC and learned about how to take advantage of dual credit.

Many high school students are eligible to take college courses after completing the tenth grade through the dual credit program. Dual credit courses, whether offered at the high school or at the college, allow students to earn college credit while earning high school credit for the same classes. It also gives students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with college-level work. Most importantly, tuition for Bee County residents taking dual credit classes is free.

Kathy Duge said her older daughter used dual credit to earn 42 semester hours that were all applied toward a bachelor’s degree. She said that her tenth-grader plans to take an aggressive approach to the program and start with history and government in the fall. “We spent less than $1,500 for our daughter to earn 42 credits. You do the math.”

Duge’s figure is based on the cost of books and fees that Bee County parents have to cover. At any other college or university in the region, parents would spend $8,500 or more for the same 42 credits.

Core academic courses like history, math and science, completed through Coastal Bend College, or any college, are transferable to universities across the country. The passports given to students contain information about what classes are available and what certificates can be earned in tandem with a high school diploma.

Sarah McKinney, who attended Passport Day with her daughter Morgan, said “This makes everyone aware. Not all students get to talk to their counselors regularly and some have parents who’ve not gone to college.” McKinney has two other children that took dual credit courses so she knew more about the opportunities than others. “This event is a positive step to getting students thinking about the future.”

Parents were invited to participate in the ceremony. Afterward, they took part in a round table discussion on issues unique to dual credit students. Robert Ibarra said he attended the round table discussion to learn more about what courses are available for his son, Ernesto. He hopes that his son will pick up a few courses over the summer and continue through high school.

“This event gets students more serious about college. This is an open door to the future,” Ibarra explained. He urged students to take advantage of dual credit instead of waiting until after high school to start college.

BISD Superintendent John Hardwick and CBC President Thomas Baynum came up with the idea for the event during one of their regular breakfast meetings one year ago. Hardwick explained that he was driven by his own experiences at the college, having first visited Coastal Bend College as a 17-year-old from Sinton. Hardwick did not attend CBC, but never forgot how that one day on campus helped him visualize his future.

The number of students who earn CBC Level I Certificates at the same time that they graduate from high school has dramatically increased since the Passport Program was introduced last year. Approximately 18 A.C. Jones students are expected to graduate with a workforce level I certificate during the CBC Commencement ceremony on May 15. CBC now offers 19 dual credit level I certificates. Students earn certificates in computer information technology, automotive technology, criminal justice, basic early development, welding, design, office automation technology, general aviation and others. Upon completion of high school, students who possess college certificates will be more prepared to enter the workplace than those without. And those who plan to attend a two-year college will have a basic level of coursework already completed, according to Hardwick.

“We have failed if all of you don’t seek the opportunity to go on to college or university,” Hardwick told students.

The passport given to students gives them access to on-campus facilities. Students will be able to access electronic and learning resources at the college. Information about college programs was presented to students in a pocket-sized guide.

The passport program is only available to BISD students at this time, though any Bee County resident can take advantage of tuition-free dual credit while attending JHS, Pettus High School and Skidmore-Tynan High School.

For more photos and information on the Passport Program, visit the Coastal Bend College website at www.coastalbend.edu.