There are common reasons some students might think they’re not cut out for college. They may be a first-generation American, or maybe their family can’t afford it. Maybe they believe they simply don’t have the grades.
But a new program called University High will create a college pipeline for Hamilton County high school students who might not have considered a four-year university education before.
Through a partnership between Hamilton County Schools and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University High will offer juniors and seniors a chance to take college-level courses at UTC while also exploring their unique career interests.
By the time they graduate from high school, they’ll have earned enough college credit to begin their first year of college — at UTC or elsewhere — as a sophomore. The program is free to students.
School district and UTC officials held a contract signing ceremony Monday at the university.
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New UTC college-credit program targets high schoolers who feel a four-year degree is out of reach
“This is all about providing opportunities for young people in Hamilton County,” UTC Chancellor Steven Angle said. “Some of our high schools don’t have as many advanced placement courses as others. What a great option to have them come (to UTC) as juniors and seniors, finish high school and then be able to take some college courses while they’re here.”
University High will launch in fall 2023 with an initial cohort of 50 high school juniors. When those juniors become seniors, a new cohort of 50 juniors will be added, bringing the program to full capacity.
(READ MORE: Tennessee officials aim to increase college-going rates)
To be admitted to the program, students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and provide two letters of recommendation.
Those enrolled will have access to all college buildings and services as if they were attending UTC. They’ll also build their own education along the way.
“The purpose of University High is personalization,” Hamilton County Schools Director of Innovation and Fine Arts Grant Knowles said. “The program is also built to expose and engage students with as many different career pathways as possible with self-selected internships, including mentors and wraparound supports to help them smoothly transition from high school directly into a highly successful university career.”
While the students will take all of their classes at the university, they can still participate in extracurricular activities at their zoned high school if they choose.
The district offers a similar opportunity through Hamilton County Collegiate High School at Chattanooga State Community College. Collegiate High is an entirely separate high school, and students usually have to pay tuition.
University High is different because it targets historically underserved students and removes a financial barrier.
“I think another factor that makes (University High) different is that students are going to get one-on-one advising and coaching opportunities,” UTC Vice Provost for Academic Outreach Shewanee Howard-Baptiste said in an interview following the signing ceremony. “If a student is really interested in, let’s say robotics or mechatronics, we have that major discipline here at UTC. So, we would work with faculty in that program so the student can go to the labs and the student would have those opportunities for two years to really build their interests in a program that really supports what they want to do long term.”
Collegiate High is a high-performing school when it comes to standardized testing. In 2021-22, its students scored a composite average of 25 on the ACT college entrance exam — making it the top-performing high school in the district.
Though University High is a challenging program, success will not only be measured by academic achievement, Knowles said in an interview following the ceremony.
“We have a really broad approach to (success),” he said. “My goal in building this school is to make it a place-based learning school. So that means that the work and learning the students are doing is unique to the time and space that they’re in. The ACT pieces will be built into that. There won’t be a standalone class, but it’ll be built in contextually.”
To ensure the program reaches its target demographic — students who are likely low-income, come from immigrant families or are students of color — Knowles said recruitment efforts are underway.
“The focus is on helping to connect with those specific students right now,” Knowles said. “Long term, what we’re excited about is to be able to meet with students, maybe even (at) the middle school level, to talk about the University High option.”
Knowles added that the “path of least resistance” for programs like this is to admit high-performing students who are already on the path to college — something he’s seen happen many times throughout his career.
“That’s not what we’ve built here,” he said. “The reason that we’re keeping the program long term is to allow for the advocacy at the high school level to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got these students who we see their brilliance, but they’re not necessarily engaging.'”
UTC will host two family information sessions about University High from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 12 and 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 14.
Contact Carmen Nesbitt at cnesbitt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327. Follow her on Twitter @carmen_nesbitt.