Overview
Sacred Heart University (SHU) offers two options for high school students to earn college credits, Early College Experience (ECE) and Taste of College. In SHU’s Early College Experience, students who attend one of SHU’s partner high schools have the opportunity to enroll in SHU-approved courses as part of their regular high school experience, taking courses in their high school during the school day. The Taste of College program provides opportunities for high school students to enroll in SHU courses that are taught on the SHU campus by SHU faculty. In both programs, students benefit from a reduced tuition rate. In addition, high school students in the Early College Experience program who are eligible for free or reduced- priced meals receive free tuition. Students who successfully complete courses in ECE or a Taste of College will receive SHU college credit. These credits may also be accepted by other higher education institutions at their discretion, based on their transfer credit policies.
Programming and Partnerships
Courses offered by SHU’s Early College Experience partners vary by high school but are generally 100-level introductory courses, such as Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Management, Modern European History, and Introduction to World Religions.
For the Taste of College program, students may take any SHU 100- or 200-level course, subject to availability and as approved by their guidance counselor.
SHU’s Early College Experience partners include Stamford Public School District high schools, Fairfield Public School District high schools, St. Joseph’s High School in Trumbull, and Notre Dame High School in Fairfield.
Student Eligibility
For Early College Experience, each high school partner determines student eligibility to enroll in ECE courses. Students should consult with their high school guidance counselor. For a Taste of College, students must apply and submit a high school transcript and letter of recommendation.
Instructor Credentials for Concurrent Enrollment Courses
Depending on the course offered, relevant college faculty and administrators at SHU evaluate high school teacher qualifications to ensure they meet SHU’s faculty hiring standards as well as applicable accreditation standards.
Registration and Fees
SHU’s Early College Education partners ensure that student information is transmitted to SHU’s Registrar. Taste of College students receive registration instructions from SHU and register upon acceptance into the program. Grades are reported to the SHU Registrar by instructors. All information on registered students is entered into SHU’s Student Information System, which is the source system used by SHU to generate official transcripts.
For SHU’s Early College Experience, tuition is $45 per credit. Tuition is waived for students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Eligibility is identified and reported by the high school.
For Taste of College, tuition is $100 per credit.
Students receive SHU credit for all successfully completed courses through SHU’s Early College Experience program and Taste of College. These credits are documented on an official SHU transcript and may be submitted to other higher education institutions, which may accept these credits at their discretion, based on their transfer credit policies.
Supports for Multilingual Families
SHU offers Spanish speaking tours and can assist families whose primary language is not English thorough our Office of Global Initiatives, which is the home of internationalization at SHU.
Contact Information
Learn more about Sacred Heart University’s Taste of College.
Lisa Cullington, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Academic Programs
cullingtonl@sacredheart.edu
203-396-8408