Many students graduate high school after four years, but some are eligible to graduate early after just three years of high school. Programs such as dual enrollment allow students to take college courses while still in high school to earn college credits for free.

The early college program allows students to go to Frederick Community College (FCC) after finishing their sophomore year and graduate with a high school diploma as well as an associates degree. 

There are three other dual-enrollment programs as well, but the basic dual-enrollment program is where students take classes at their high school but can earn college and high school credits. 

The Open-campus program is where students go to the FCC campus and take classes taught by FCC teachers to earn their college and high school credits. There is also the career-pathways program where students can start learning a trade and become on track to earn certifications in addition to earning high school credits.

Aside from dual-enrollment programs, students could also choose to graduate early if they are on track to complete their credits a year early. However, there is a procedure students must follow if they wish to graduate early.

First a student must have all the credits, then fill out paperwork and attach a letter explaining why this is the right decision. Finally, the paperwork must get signed by several people throughout Frederick County Public Schools,including the superintendent.

Former Junior, Senior Nicholas Bonura moved up a year a couple of months ago. When asked why, he stated, “I’ll be moving over the summer between my junior and senior year so there isn’t a reason not to graduate early. I don’t wanna graduate from a high school I didn’t attend for three years.”

Bonura among many others enjoys high school but wasn’t left with much of a choice. He explained his future plans, “Going to community college for two years then transferring to a four year university. I wanna either own my own business or go into accounting.”

For some, the idea of graduating might be the best fit for their future plans. but others might just want to enjoy the couple years they have in high school.