By Meg Peters
Review Co-editor
Beginning next fall, Lake Orion High School juniors will have the opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree from Baker College for free.
Through a partnership with Baker College the district is now offering an Early/Middle College Program starting in the 2017 school year. Students interested in acquiring an Associate’s Degree, in Business Administration or Computer Programming, one year out of high school can apply for the program at the end of their sophomore year.
As juniors they will begin taking college level courses taught by either Lake Orion teachers acting as adjunct professors, or Baker College professors.
Depending on the number of students interested, those classes could be taught in a number of ways. They could be taught in a blended-learning program, where some days student-teacher interaction will be face to face or online, or as a dual enrollment option, where students would travel to the Auburn Hills campus.
The college level classes will earn direct, or articulated credits toward either degree, while also completing the Lake Orion High School graduation requirements.
Seniors will participate in their regular high school graduation ceremony, and continue with their “thirteenth year” to complete their degree at Baker College. After the thirteenth year, students will receive both their high school diploma and their Associate’s Degree at no cost.
Assistant Principal Chris Bell said the Early/Middle College Program was a good match for LOHS because no additional training is required to train Lake Orion teachers.
LOHS already offers Career and Technical Education Programs (CTE) and the CTE teachers have to go through the same qualifications to be an adjunct professor for Baker, he said.
“This program has been around for a number of years, and number one, it’s to make college affordable, and number two, it’s to try and make a workforce that meets the demands of the workforce,” he said.
Baker College approached LOHS last spring with the idea. The idea of the thirteenth year is what makes it affordable for both the high school and college.
When designing this program, the State of Michigan agreed to pass along each student’s per pupil funding for their thirteenth year of school. The funding would first go to Lake Orion to cover any costs incurred by the program, and the remaining funding would go to Baker College.
Lake Orion’s per pupil funding is about $7,800.
So Lake Orion is not making or losing any money, and Baker College can make up some of that tuition cost because they are getting a larger percentage of that allowance, Bell said.
“We have an outstanding business program at the high school, so this is just another link for our students straight to college,” he said.
Bell said after one year the district plans to expand the program to include the engineering program, the auto program and the finance program.
The high school is holding an informational meeting for sophomores next week to inform them of this opportunity, and will have a parent meeting Wednesday, May 4 in the Lake Orion High School Auditorium at 7 p.m. to answer all questions.
If a student chooses to pay and continue with a Bachelor’s Degree at Baker College, all of their Associate’s Degree credits would transfer. Students could also transfer to a different university at this point, or enter straight into the workforce, Bell said.
Baker College has a 97 percent job placement success.
“It’s another option for our students, and something else for them to think about,” he said. “One of our strengths at LOHS is we give students the options based on their talents and interests, but this is also for the parents. The cost of a college education is ridiculous.”
It’s also a good option for students who are interested in the fields and want to go to work as soon as possible, he said.
For more information on the Early/Middle College Program call the high school at 248-693-5420 or visit www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us.