College in the High School: Concurrent Enrollment Program at ATCC

ATC Image The Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at Alexandria Technical & Community College serves high school students, teachers and schools by increasing access to college learning and experiences, while supporting excellence in instruction and technology and building high school-college connections. Through the college's CEP, high school students are able to take college courses from their own high school, without requiring travel or tuition of the students.

Student Benefits

  • Earn transferable college credit with high school peers
  • Reduce the overall cost of a college education
  • Develop college-level learning skills
  • Get a jump start on postsecondary studies that allows for greater flexibility in college
  • Receive all benefits offered to ATCC students: college email, access to learning resources, access to campus facilities and student life programs

Teacher Benefits

  • Develop professional relationships and sharing ideas and techniques with CEP instructors and college faculty
  • Re-energize through partnerships with other motivated educators
  • Receive access to college email, instructional resources and facilities
  • Receive access to college instructor training opportunities

School and District Benefits

  • Increase public awareness of the school's wide variety of course offerings;
  • Retain students on the high school campus
  • Allow students to earn college credit without losing significant state support dollars
  • Enjoy the benefits of partnering with an internationally recognized technical college

Eligibility

  • Complete the Accuplacer test, or provide ACT scores to determine college-level placement.
  • Class rankings, written recommendations or other criteria may be used to aid in enrollment decisions

Tuition

  • Tuition is paid by the high school or school district.

Textbooks

  • Textbooks are purchased by high schools or school districts. Refer to your school's policy for returning textbooks.
ATC Students

Alexandria Technical & Community College has the best first-to-second year retention rate of all the two-year colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) System (more than 30 schools). That means:

  • a higher percentage of students comes back for a second year at ATCC than returns to any other college in the system.*
  • ATCC has the highest graduation rate in the MnSCU system!*

*Minnesota Measures 2007 Report on Higher Education Performance Minnesota Office of Higher Education

First to second year retention 71%, Three year graduation rate 57%, Transfer rate 12%. 69% of ATCC students transfer or graduate within three years.