College’s dual enrollment program touted

Siblings Ellie and Brooke Hostetter of Oxford are taking full advantage of an educational opportunity that allows them to earn college credits at a substantial tuition discount at Delaware County Community College while they are still in high school.

At Delaware County Community College’s Pennocks Bridge Campus,  Brooke Hostetter (from left) is joined by her sisters Ellie and Paige, all proponents of the school's dual enrollment program.
At Delaware County Community College’s Pennocks Bridge Campus, Brooke Hostetter (from left) is joined by her sisters Ellie and Paige, all proponents of the school's dual enrollment program for high school students.

“It has helped our daughters immensely,” said their mother, Judy Hostetter, in a press release from Delaware County Community College (DCCC).

The Hostetter sisters are among more than 1,300 students who have capitalized on the college’s dual enrollment program, which allows qualified high school students from Chester and Delaware counties to take college courses at a reduced tuition rate, saving as much as 70 percent off the College’s normal tuition and fees, the release said.

“It is a wonderful way for students to receive an affordable head start on their college education, and the credits are transferable to four-year colleges and universities,” said DCCC President Dr. Jerry Parker.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for our students,” said Jennifer Williams, dual enrollment coordinator at Oxford Area High School. Oxford not only accepts the Hostetter sisters’ college credits toward high school graduation, but also weights the credits similar to honors or advanced placement courses.

Ellie Hostetter, 18, earned 30 credits from DCCC and this fall will transfer her credits to Harcum College, where she will study dental hygiene. Having completed all of her general education credits for Harcum at Delaware County’s Downingtown and Pennocks Bridge campuses, she expects to complete Harcum in two years, instead of the normal three.

Delaware County Community College operates Pennocks Bridge as a joint venture with the Chester County Intermediate Unit. The campus is within the Technical College High School in West Grove.

Brooke Hostetter, 17, plans to take classes both online and at Pennocks Bridge in the fall and spring. A rising senior at Oxford Area High School, she also is considering transferring the credits she earns to Harcum College, which would reduce the time it takes for her to earn an occupational therapy assistant bachelor’s degree.

Her sister, Paige, 20, a graduate of Oxford Area High School who wants to be a nurse, wishes she had participated in dual enrollment. However, she still benefited from the college by taking courses in allied health at Pennocks Bridge. She subsequently enrolled in the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in Lancaster and received an associate’s degree in nursing this year.

 

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