Early College

History of Early College @ WMCC:

In 1999, CCSNH introduced the Running Start program, a partnership enabling high school students to enroll in college courses at a significant reduction in tuition. In 2006, Running Start was a recipient of the New England Board of Higher Education Excellence in Education Award.

Through Running Start, high school students in the North Country earned WMCC credit. This unique partnership between the College and local area schools offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to take selected college-level courses and earn college credit for successful completion. These courses were taught at the high school during the regular school day by high school teachers whose courses and teaching credentials were certified by WMCC.

The cost for these courses is well below the per-credit tuition costs at all New Hampshire public and private institutions of higher education and offer significant savings on college tuition and degree completion. Often, participating high schools will cover the cost of the course.

In 2023, the Running Start Program became the Early College Program. This new program title is an umbrella for the three different types of dual or concurrent credit courses an eligible high school student can take: Early College At Your High School (formerly Running Start), Early College Online (formerly eStart), and Early College On a College Campus (formerly Early College). Thanks to a program through the State of NH and the Community College System of NH, qualifying students can take up to two (2) courses per academic year for free.

Information regarding courses at participating high schools can be found on the Early College section of our website.  

Early College (At Your High School)

Early College At Your High School provides students the opportunity to obtain college and high school credit in their normal high school courses. Teachers from the high school get credentialed by WMCC and deliver a college curriculum to the students. There is no extra work or tests beyond what the high school instructor assigns. Students can register using the online platform DualEnroll. Courses cost $150.

Early College (On a College Campus)

Early College On a College Campus gives high school students an opportunity to enroll in credit-bearing courses in Berlin, Littleton, or online. Students are fully integrated into college courses that could be applied to an associate degree or certificate at WMCC or, if applicable, transferred to another college. If the student’s high school allows, credit from the Early College program may also count toward a student’s high school graduation requirements. Students should speak with their high school counselor about enrolling in WMCC courses. The cost of the course is half of the tuition of a traditional college student, along with any materials needed for the course.

Early College Online

Early College Online is an online dual credit program that enables high school students to take community college courses for dual high school AND college credit. Courses offered through the Early College Online program are 100% online college courses. Courses cost $150.

High School Articulation Agreements
Various high schools are developing written agreements with the College to ensure guaranteed acceptance for motivated students. These agreements specify the competencies needed for acceptance, and they show the student how to meet them. They also spell out how a student can earn college credit while in high school.

WMCC has agreements with the following high schools.