Hundreds of high school students are earning college credits at MCC

MOHAVE COUNTY – Nearly one thousand high school students in Mohave County are earning college credits at Mohave Community College this spring semester, at no cost to their parents.

Currently 935 high school students are enrolled in at least one college class through MCC.  The breakdown for each campus is as follows: 380 in Kingman, 316 in Bullhead City, 222 in Lake Havasu City, 17 in Colorado City.

MCC offers college credits through dual enrollment partnerships with local high schools, and the classes focus on college level general education courses such as math, English and the sciences.  Students take these classes at their high school and earn college and high school credit at the same time.

The college also partners with WAVE/JTED to offer students an opportunity to come to their nearest MCC campus and earn credits in the college’s class to career programs that train students for careers in the skilled trades and healthcare industries. 

Both options open the door for high school students to take college classes, tuition free, and possibly earn a college degree or certificate while attending high school.

“Students who want a bachelor’s degree can save tens of thousands of dollars through dual enrollment, and by finishing an associate degree first, because those credits transfer over to our university partners,” said James Jarman, MCC director of communications. “Those taking the class to career option will be ready much faster to fill positions in the skilled trades and healthcare industries that are in demand in the local, regional and statewide workforce.” 

The college and WAVE/JTED recently hosted parents and high school students from Lake Havasu, Bullhead City and Kingman for college orientation.

They learned how the MCC and WAVE/JTED partnership program works, and the responsibility students are taking upon themselves to successfully complete the college-level coursework.

Laci Johnson, a student at Lake Havasu High School, decided to enroll in college classes to get a head start on a career in the medical field.

“I will be going into the certified nursing assisting program to get my foot into the medical field and to learn about patient care,” said Johnson.

Students at the recent MCC and WAVE/JTED orientations are enrolled in various class to career programs such as welding, HVAC or practical nursing. Many students also met with their instructors at the orientation and asked questions, so they know what type of coursework and time commitment to expect.

For more information about the options high school students have to earn college credits visit the MCC Dual Enrollment web page, or call 866-MOHAVECC and ask to speak with an Admissions Specialist.