What is Accelerated Pathways?
It is a program that provides an opportunity for qualified high school students to attend college classes and earn high school and college credit at the same time free of charge. There are two programs: Dual Enrollment, which is part-time, and Early Admissions, which full-time.
What is the difference between Dual Enrollment and Early Admissions?
Dual Enrollment students can take one or more college classes either on their high school campus, on the college campus, or online. Early Admissions students must have completed their sophomore year of high school, be on track for high school graduation, and are considered full-time college students. Early Admission students do not take classes on their high school campus and have all required college-level test scores.
What are the benefits of Dual Enrollment/Early Admissions?
Dual Enrollment saves money because tuition, lab fees, and textbooks are free to high school students. Since students can earn high school and college credit at the same time, they can shorten the time required to earn a college degree. Dual Enrollment offers challenging courses that are guaranteed to transfer to any public Florida College or University and most out-of-state universities. Students who participate in Dual Enrollment graduate from college more often, earlier, and with better grades.
Who is eligible for Accelerated Pathways?
Eligibility is based on a student’s grade point average and standardized college-level test scores. Dual Enrollment is available to students from 6th-12th grade. Students who are 6th-10th must have at least a 3.0 unweighted, cumulative GPA and two letters of recommendation. Juniors and Seniors must have a 3.0 unweighted, cumulative GPA or higher. All students must also meet the required minimum test score levels.
What are the required test scores to participate in Accelerated Pathways?
Students should refer to https://www.fsw.edu/testing/scoretables for the up to date information on Accelerated Pathways testing requirements and access.
All courses require a minimum of a college-level reading score. Some courses require reading and writing (writing intensive courses); reading and math (mathematics); or reading, writing, and math (science).
Can the PERT exam be taken more than once?
Can the College Placement Tests (Accuplacer or PERT) exam be taken more than once? The exams may be taken up to three times for Dual Enrollment purposes, with thirty days in between. The student may also submit qualifying college readiness test scores (https://www.fsw.edu/testing/scoretables) through their school counselor or at our Testing Center. College readiness test scores are valid for a period of two years.
What if I am missing a test score?
Some students are academically ready in some areas but not others. All courses require a minimum of a college-level reading score. Some courses require reading and writing (writing intensive courses); reading and math (mathematics); or reading, writing, and math (science). Students may take up to 12 credits total before all three test scores are required.
When and where are Accelerated Pathway courses taken?
Courses may be taken before, during, or after school. Courses may also be offered at the high school, on the college campus, or other approved location. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the college. Students are allowed full term courses for fall and spring. Students may also participate in Summer courses if approved by their high school counselor.
What courses are available to Accelerated Pathway students?
Students can take academic college-level courses and or career and technical courses. We generally recommend an AA education plan, unless the student has another desired education track. All prerequisites must be met for all courses.
How do I find courses to register for?
Students should use the course search in their student portal or you may use the schedule search
How many courses can Accelerated Pathway students take each semester?
Dual Enrollment students from 6th-10th grade may take up to 9 credit hours per semester. Junior and Senior Dual Enrollment students may earn up to 15 credit hours per semester. Early Admission students may take from 12-18 credits.
As an Accelerated Pathways student, how do I register for classes?
Accelerated Pathways student registration is overseen by your high school designee. Once you are qualified to take courses as a college student (FSW ID, test scores and GPA) you will need to complete an Accelerated Pathways Registration form to register for classes. This can be done through the online link below. Please review the helpful video before using the registration tool.
How do Accelerated Pathway students remain eligible?
Students must maintain a term 2.0 college GPA and continue to meet the high school GPA requirement. Students who fall below the GPA requirement may not be eligible to continue in the program. A student who withdraws from a Dual Enrollment course must return to the assigned high school for class assignment by the principal or designee.
Do Accelerated Pathway students receive report cards?
Accelerated Pathway students receive their final grades and will have access to them through their FSW portal and through Canvas, the college’s learning management system. They will not be sent a report card, but may request for their official transcripts to be sent to their desired location. The fee for official transcripts is $5 per transcript. Final grades will be sent to the high school.
How do students start the process to do dual enrollment or early admissions?
Students interested in either dual enrollment or early admissions will need to have a FSW Dual enrollment/ Early Admission application on file. Once the application has been processed, the student will receive a Buc ID (@00--------) through their email. The student may now register to take the PERT or submit ACT/ SAT scores to become eligible. Once test scores have been submitted, the student will work through their school counselor to develop a schedule of courses. Students will then register through a paper form called the Accelerated Learning Registration Form at any of FSW’s campuses or centers with a photo ID or through your counselor using a secure DocuSign process. Students will not be able to register online through their FSW Portal.
What if I attend a home education program?
Home schooled students have the same rights and access as traditional public school students to both dual enrollment and early admissions. A student must declare their grade in school to be eligible to participate. Each home school student/parent will enter annually into a Home Education Articulation Agreement provide a Home Education Affidavit or provide documentation of your Florida PEP Scholarship. This Home Education Articulation Agreement is an annual agreement and should only be submitted when the student is eligible to register for courses with the necessary college-ready test scores. All materials should be submitted to Dual.Enrollment@fsw.edu prior to course registration. Additional information can be found at https://www.fsw.edu/dualenrollment/homeprivateschool
What if I attend a private school?
As private schools, they have deciding power if they wish to enter into a FSW Articulation Agreement. You will need to discuss your options with your private school to determine if they are offering dual enrollment opportunities through FSW.
What do I have access to as an Accelerated Pathway student?
All students, whether you are part-time or full-time, have complete access to the College’s resources, such as tutoring, academic support centers, advising, mental health counseling, career services, library, and other online and on-campus resources. Many Accelerated Pathway students take advantage of the multitude programs and activities offered, such as the Honors Program, Study Abroad, Model United Nations, internships, and other programs.
What if I do not do well in my college coursework?
As a college student, you are building a permanent college transcript. Many state and private universities have specific admission requirements, including a college grade point average. Doing poorly in your courses can affect your high school graduation requirements, stop admissions to other post-secondary institutions, affect scholarships (like Bright Futures), and financial aid opportunities when you graduate.
Why choose Accelerated Pathways over other college-level programs, such as Cambridge AICE, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate?
Choosing which accelerated program is a decision for each student and their academic goals. Accelerated Pathways offers students a flexible college schedule, ability to take courses in which a student would excel in, and opportunity to receive high school and college credits. Over 3,200 students in the five counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee) have accessed FSW Accelerated Pathway courses with a 93% success rate (C or higher) in their coursework, have earned over 48,000 credits last year, and saved over $7 million in college tuition and textbooks costs. More students are leveraging what their high school offers with FSW courses to maximize their time and effort. With FSW’s flexibility in where you take the course (on-campus, online or at the high school) allows for all students to earn college credit while in high school.
As a parent what should I know?
Accelerated Pathway students are technically college students. While they may be under the age 18, they will fall under the same policies as traditional college students. One in particular is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protects the privacy of student education records. Without a FERPA waiver signed by the student, FSW cannot speak with parents about a student’s academic standing. At home, you may want to review the student’s Canvas courses to ensure they are on track and doing well academically, even if they have been academically strong before. As a parent, you should also encourage your student to engage in FSW’s resources and utilize professor’s office hours.