Craven Community College works to give high school students the ‘EDGE’

Craven Community College and the Craven County Schools are working together to give local high school students The Craven EDGE!

The EDGE, which stands for "Earn a Degree, Graduate Early," is a program that enables high school students to take college-level courses through Craven Community College without paying tuition.

The courses available include college-transfer classes such as history, psychology, science and the humanities, as well as hands-on programs such as cosmetology, machining and automotive systems technology.

The courses carry both high school and college credit, which means that by enrolling in college classes while still in high school, students can get ahead in their studies, which can save them time and money.

"The Craven EDGE is a wonderful opportunity for high school students in Craven County," said Mia Leggett, the college's recruiting and retention coordinator/counselor. "The college and the school system have worked hard to make these classes available to as many high school students as possible."

The Craven EDGE is an all-encompassing term for the wide variety of college-level offerings available for local high school students at Craven Community College. Previous names for these courses and programs included Concurrent Enrollment, Dual Enrollment, Huskins, Step Ahead and other terms.

The Craven EDGE is a great way for motivated high school students to get the courses they'll need for a college degree and to get a glimpse of the level of course work that's expected of them in college.

"It helps you get ahead for college and it gives you the knowledge you need to do well in high school," said West Craven High School student Joshua White, who plans to attend Craven and then possibly transfer to East Carolina University.

White has been taking college-level courses through Craven for several semesters. In fact, when he graduates from high school later this month, White will have earned more than 30 hours of college credit.

He says the classes he's taken at Craven not only have put him ahead of many of his classmates, they've also given him flexibility in his schedule that will allow him to take courses in other areas that interest him.

Course offerings can vary semester-to-semester, based on student demand. High schoolers come to Craven's New Bern and Havelock campuses to take the Craven EDGE courses, although some are offered at the high schools or online. Students must pay for their textbooks and arrange for their transportation.

With the 2007-08 school year drawing to a close, now is a great time for high school students who are interested in The Craven EDGE to begin thinking about the college-level classes they want to take this fall.

"Now is a great time for high school students to complete their Craven applications and their Craven EDGE enrollment forms, to take their placement tests and to get ready for fall registration, which begins on July 7," Leggett said.

Students who want to enroll in Craven EDGE courses need to have the enrollment process completed by July 23, she said.

High school students who are interested in The Craven EDGE should contact their schools' guidance counselors. They also can contact a counselor at Craven Community College's New Bern campus at 638-7200 or the Havelock campus at 444-6005.