The High School Connections program at Fayetteville Technical Community College experienced a record-breaking year for the 2018-19 academic year. Well over 1,000 high school students (public, private and homeschool) are taking college classes this spring at FTCC through the HSC program.

The HSC program at FTCC provides seamless dual enrollment for high school juniors and seniors with tuition-free, college-level classes. Students can choose from programs that lead to accelerated college certificates, diplomas and associate degrees for higher education or access to entry-level job skills.

In 2018, many students graduated with certificates, and some even earned an associate’s degree. While every student’s achievement is widely celebrated, it is especially exciting to see a student graduate from high school and simultaneously receive an associate’s degree.

FTCC is now spreading the word to current high school sophomores, juniors and their families about the upcoming 2019-20 school year HSC opportunities. Students can choose from two tracks.

Career and Technical Education: Students can complete the CTE pathways within an academic year when the program is started during the fall semester. CTE pathways programs fit well with their associate degree counterparts, should students wish to pursue a degree after completion.

Earning FTCC certificates can lead to an entrylevel skilled job. FTCC offers more than 35 certificates, including Early Childhood, Criminal Justice, Nurse Aide, Business Foundations, 3D Animation, Welding and more. This fall, HSC is expanding available certificates to include Cisco Entry Networking, Electronics Engineering, IOS Development Using Swift, Mechanical Maintenance, and SAS Programming.

College Transfer Pathway: The design of the Arts, Science, and Engineering Pathways programs provides students with general education classes —math, English, history, psychology, sociology, political science and more.

These pathways offer a valuable opportunity for students to receive a head start on earning a four-year degree with considerable financial savings. Students who complete classes with a grade of C or higher receive a guarantee to transfer to University of North Carolina institutions.

High school students interested in taking classes through the HSC program at FTCC can reach out to their high school counselor for more information. FTCC hosts Parent Nights throughout the spring semester, which provide students the opportunity to learn more about what HSC has to offer. Students can ask their high school counselor about when FTCC will visit their schools.

During Parent Nights, students can begin creating their HSC enrollment packets. Afterward, students should follow up with their high school counselor to confirm the submission of their completed packets.

FTCC is excited to continue the HSC partnership with local high schools in Cumberland County. For more information, visit www.faytechcc.edu/academics/ high-school-connections. Contact the HSC staff at FTCC at 910-678-8542 for more information.