College Offers Summer Courses for High School Students at No Cost
May 20, 2021
50+ Courses and “Head Start” Programs Aim to Increase Access and Support Students Affected by Pandemic
Hudson Valley Community College will offer more than 50 college-level courses for rising high school juniors and seniors this summer with an added incentive: tuition and fees will be completely funded through a college scholarship, and textbooks will be provided at no cost for students.
“During such a challenging year for all students, we want to do everything in our power to make our summer College in the High School courses even more accessible,” said President Roger Ramsammy. “By offering a full scholarship on tuition and providing open educational resources or free textbooks, we are doing just that. Plus, college academic enrichment courses offered at no cost will help prepare our students for advanced study. This is an incredible opportunity for students to get a jump start on their college career while still in high school.”
The majority of the summer College in the High School courses will be offered in an online or remote learning format. Sessions are available May 24 - July 2; May 24 - August 13; and July 6 through August 13. Several courses will also be taught in person at Troy Middle School.
Courses range from English Composition, Precalculus and Sociology to Child Development, Introduction to Criminal Law and Principles of Marketing. Successful students will be able to apply the credit they earn at Hudson Valley and hundreds of other colleges and universities. For more information, contact the College in the High School office at cihs@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-8164. The full schedule of courses can be found at www.hvcc.edu/highschool.
The announcement was made in partnership with the New York State Parent Teacher Association and Coalition for Independent and Religious Schools at a press conference on May 20 in the college’s Bulmer Telecommunications Center. Representatives of several local school districts and BOCES attended.
Hudson Valley also announced that two additional academic preparation programs – Head Start on Math and Head Start on Writing – will be offered at no cost this summer both online and on campus. The workshops are aimed at preparing incoming college freshmen with skills to take on college-level courses.
Head Start on Math gives students the opportunity to work on basic math skills and prepare for Basic Math (MATH 095) and Elementary Algebra (MATH 099). Head Start on Writing provides students with the opportunity to work with faculty on writing skills and prepare for English Composition I. For more information, contact Community Education at communityed@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-7339.
In addition, Real World Math, is available at no cost as a three-credit course to prepare students for advanced math courses. Students in this class will receive extra help each week and work with a dedicated instructional support specialist. For more information, contact Marcy Pendergast in the college Learning Centers at m.pendergast@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-7037.
Hudson Valley’s College in the High School program has offered hundreds of college-level, credit-bearing courses to more than 25 partner high schools and school districts for decades. Partial scholarships are available for the fall, spring and full-year courses, however 2021 summer session scholarships will cover the total amount of the course tuition, fees and texts.
“NYS PTA is thrilled to support the work of Hudson Valley Community College in their many programs to support students,” offered NYS PTA President Dana Platin. “As a school-related professional myself in a K-12 school district, we know this work is critical, and the partnership with higher education is wholly welcomed for the many families and students we serve together. K-12 schools have done miraculous work this past year in supporting children. We know that schools, parents and families continue to be concerned about learning losses our children may face, and many families face increase economic challenges. Programs such as College in the High School and other bridge programs will only increase support for our young adults and their families.”
“To the families and students in especially Albany, Rensselaer and Southern Saratoga counties, please don’t pass up this amazing first of its kind opportunity,” added Kyle Belokopitsky, NYS PTA Executive Director. “As reminder to families, this program is offering no-cost college credit bearing classes for our students entering 11th and 12th grade. We hope all families in the Capital Region take advantage of this historic and groundbreaking program for our high school students. We truly applaud HVCC for their forward thinking, and meaningful support of our students and their families.”
“This program will go a long way in giving students a jump start on their path to college as well as providing additional support to students who need it – and we are enormously grateful for Hudson Valley Community College and the NYS PTA for bring it about,” said James Cultrara, co-chairman of the NYS Coalition for Independent and Religious Schools.
“After such an unusual school year, the chance for students to earn free college credits this summer is welcome news,” said Capital Region BOCES’ Senior Executive Officer Joseph P. Dragone, Ph.D. “This is a great opportunity for students statewide to get ahead in their studies at no cost to their families.”
“This is such a great opportunity for local students. Thank you to Hudson Valley Community College and the New York State PTA for working together to support this summer program. We encourage local families to consider this opportunity to earn college credits, which can be transferred to other institutions. This summer is unique given the pandemic and taking advantage of accelerating learning will help our students and families as they begin to plan for college, careers and their futures,” said Dr. Gladys I. Cruz, District Superintendent of Questar III BOCES.