Spotlight On: Career and College Promise (Updated for 2021)
In 2019-20, 70,801 public high school students participated in the Career and College Promise (CCP) program, which offers qualified high school students the opportunity to enroll in community college and university courses that provide pathways to a certificate, diploma, degree, or state- or industry-recognized credential. Enrollment in these courses is free for students and many courses county for both high school and college credit.
CCP Pathways:
- College Transfer – Requires completion of at least 30 semester hours of college transfer courses, including English and mathematics.
- Career and Technical Education – Requires completion of courses leading to a certificate or diploma aligned with a high school career cluster or leading to a state- or industry-recognized credential aligned with a high school career cluster.
- Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS) – Often located on college campuses, CIHSs provide opportunities for students to complete an associate degree program or earn up to two years of college credit within five years, e.g. Early College High Schools.
In 2020, North Carolina was one of just 10 states that have enacted specific legislation to create and/or sustain early college high schools, the most common type of Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS) across the state. CIHSs have significantly higher college acceptance rates than traditional, charter or private students.
