High school students in Chilton County eligible for dual enrollment courses soon will have more than one option as to where and how they complete the courses.

In addition to courses offered at Jefferson State Community College in Clanton, local students will be able to complete dual enrollment courses through The University of Alabama.

At its July 16 meeting, the Chilton County Board of Education approved Superintendent Dave Hayden’s recommendation to allow eligible students to take dual enrollment courses online through UA.

An information session about UA’s dual enrollment courses and the UA Early College program will be held Aug. 13 for Chilton County school counselors, principals and administrators.

Regarding UA Early College, students who meet certain requirements may enroll in the program and complete courses online, on-campus or both in order to earn college credit prior to graduating from high school, according to a UA Early College brochure.

UA Early College started in 2009 with a one-year pilot program and is open to high school juniors and seniors who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher since the ninth grade; are currently between the spring of sophomore year and the fall of senior year in high school; and are ready for the challenge of college level study within an active support network.

Students could potentially earn high school graduation credit and college credit (dual enrollment) through the program, the brochure said.

Students can earn up to 30 hours (a full year) of college credit and enter UA as freshmen even if they earn 30 hours along with AP credit.

The program allows students to enter UA as freshmen still eligible for freshman scholarships, earn 17 or more hours and be eligible for UA admission without submitting a test score (ACT/SAT) and have priority choice of residence hall.

UA Early College is designed to complement rigorous high school curriculum (Advanced Placement, for example), and credits from UA Early College transfer to most colleges and universities nationwide.

“UAEC 200: Gateway class” is a prerequisite to all other courses and counts for two hours of college credit.

Typical UA Early College courses include humanities, social and behavioral science, natural science, fine arts, literature, history, computer science, language, math and composition. (Specific offerings vary by term.)

Anticipated costs for in-state students (and military dependents) through August 2013 include a non-refundable application fee of $40 and UAEC 200 Gateway Class tuition of $624. Upon acceptance into UA Early College, students are automatically enrolled in the next available Gateway class.

For more information or to apply, visit UAEarlyCollege.ua.edu or speak with a representative at 1-877-823-8759.