AS
Ashley Sciandra
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Class of 2018
  • Gainesville, GA

Ashley Sciandra among high schoolers who earned degrees at UNG this spring

2018 May 15

The University of North Georgia (UNG) graduated 14 dual enrollment students this spring, its highest number since the program was instituted.

The dual enrollment program, formerly known as Move On When Ready, provides for high school students who are earning dual credit by being enrolled at a participating high school or home study program in Georgia and a postsecondary institution in Georgia.

Among the dual-enrollment students earning associate degrees was Ashley Sciandra of Gainesville, GA, who earned an Associate of Arts in general studies.

These students take college-level coursework for credit towards both high school graduation or home study completion and postsecondary requirements. The program is offered during all terms of the school year; fall, spring and summer semesters. Tuition, books, and fees are all paid for by the state's dual enrollment program.

Student participation in dual enrollment at UNG has climbed steadily, from a total of 532 in 2013-which includes fall 2013 and spring and summer 2014-when the university first began tracking students, to 1,100 just during fall 2018. Charles Bell, dual enrollment coordinator, says the increase can be attributed to a number of factors.

"Dual enrollment numbers have been rising all over the state since Gov. Nathan Deal removed all the barriers," Bell said. "Most of the students in dual enrollment are taking advanced placement (AP) classes and high school equivalency classes in middle school, which accelerates the process."

Another factor is cost. Bell said a high school student in dual enrollment pays $160 for an associate degree, compared to the nearly $8,400 it would cost out-of-pocket. That $160 covers lab, modern language and graduation fees.

"It's a great deal for the students, and especially for the parents," Bell said. "The students get a fantastic education and a degree at a great price, and it puts them on a path to a bachelor's degree.

It was the opportunity to matriculate with older, more mature students that drew Samantha Spinaci to the dual enrollment program. The 17-year-old from Cumming, Georgia, is taking courses on the Cumming and Gainesville campuses and in May will graduate from UNG with an associate degree before she earns her high school diploma from West Forsyth High School.

"My father is from Ethiopia and my mother grew up in Brazil, so I knew more about the world than most of my peers when I was in middle school," Spinaci said. "I felt more mature than my classmates in that regard. I knew about dual enrollment back then and I began taking classes my sophomore year in high school."

Spinaci, who plans to be a writer in broadcast communications, also said she was grateful for the cost savings toward earning her associate degree.

"I'm very thankful that this program exists, and that the people who pay their taxes would allow me and others to receive a college education," Spinaci said. "I've talked to a lot of my UNG classmates and some are literally drowning in student debt. To be able to advance to a bachelor's degree at literally no cost is a blessing."