Get a Head Start On College with Online AP Courses

Want to start college with a head start on your education? Online AP courses give high school juniors and seniors a chance to start their freshman college year with college credits ready to apply to their chosen major. Online college courses aren’t just for working adults who are too busy to get to classes during the day. They also work very well for high school students who want to fulfill prerequisites – such as taking Psych 101 for online psychology credits in preparation for courses in psychology for criminology or other career-oriented psych courses. What You Should Know About Online AP Courses AP courses are part of the Advanced Placement Program run by the College Board, which also runs the SAT and PSAT testing system. It began in 1955 to let high-performing and motivated college students earn college credits while still in high school. Nearly 60 percent of U.S. high schools participate in the AP program by offering at least one AP course, but the advent of online learning has made it easier for high schools to offer a wider variety of AP courses to their students. While taking online AP courses isn’t a guarantee of receiving college credit for those classes, more than 90 percent of 4-year colleges in the U.S. grant either college credits or placement in advanced classes, or both, to incoming freshmen to students who score high enough on the AP exam. More than 62 percent of students earn high enough grades on the AP exam to be awarded college credits or advanced placement. The cost of online AP courses depends a great deal on the high school and the school district where they’re being offered and on the status of the student. In some cases, schools make AP courses available to students that qualify as part of the regular course schedule. In that case, the student may attend classes during the school day at no charge to the family or student. Students may also take online AP courses on their own. In that case, the family or student will expect to pay less than they would pay for a similar college course. At current writing, the charge for taking the AP exam, which is required for the granting of college credits for online AP courses, is $82. Many states have assistance in place to assist low-income students with the cost of the exam fee. Your high school guidance counselor will have the information you need to know if you qualify for online AP courses or for tuition assistance to help you start college with a head start advantage.