NHTI Offers Online Courses to High School Students

Concord – High school students can earn college credits online through the innovative eStart program, a cyberspace version of the popular and successful Running Start program. Through this partnership between participating high schools and New Hampshire's community colleges , high school students take college-level classes in their high schools at a reduced rate of only $100 per course.

Students can choose from four courses at NHTI and an additional nine courses at NHTI's sister community colleges throughout the state. The spring semester begins January 12, 2009. Registration opened Nov. 1 and can be accessed at www.vlacs.org.

Credits earned through eStart are granted by New Hampshire's community colleges as well as other colleges and universities, in and out of New Hampshire.

Students taking courses through eStart earn both high school and college credit. eStart is a collaboration between the college system and the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS), a fully approved online high school based in Exeter, NH. Tuition for each eStart course is $100, plus the cost of books. The courses are taught by college faculty, using the college grading system.

"With eStart, we're giving high school students a jump on their college education in an on-line format, providing yet another option as students in high school chart an affordable course to a college degree," says CCSNH Chancellor Dr. Richard Gustafson.

"eStart has provided even greater access to college level classes and builds on the important work begun by Project Running Start. With the expansion of eStart, we are opening the door to college for more and more New Hampshire young people," Gov. John Lynch says.

Starting in January, high school students can take the following college courses at NHTI online through eStart:

• Introduction to Literature
• Calculus I
• Medical Terminology
• Statistics
• For other courses offered by New Hampshire community colleges, go to www.ccsnh.edu/estart.html

High school students interested in taking an eStart course can start by enrolling on the VLACS website at www.vlacs.org.