Early College
No cost tuition for high school students
Starting in the Fall 2023 semester, the Early College program at Northeast provides free tuition for all students currently enrolled in high school to take dual credit or college credit courses. Whether a student wants to take the first steps towards a bachelor’s degree or start on a fast track to a career, both general education and career and technical education courses are available.
The benefits of starting college early are many. The grades and credits earned can be used towards a degree at Northeast or transferred to another college. You will also be familiar with the college environment before your first day of college. Typically, students who take college credit courses during high school are twice as likely to attend college after graduation.
There is no cost for tuition for high school students. Some courses may have a cost associated with purchasing a book(s) and/or supplies.
Ready to earn college credit in high school? Take your next steps
The Early College Program provides the opportunity for currently enrolled high school students to register in college credit courses. This includes dual credit courses and college-credit only classes.
Early College students may enroll in courses that are 1000 level or higher. Mandatory Placement requirements apply to anyone taking math and/or English classes. Guidelines can be found on the Northeast website or by contacting the Northeast Testing Center.
For dual credit courses and college-credit classes, Early College students must complete an Early College application. This application can be found below on the Northeast website.
The credits and grades earned will become part of the student's permanent Northeast transcript. An Early College student who plans to attend Northeast after high school graduation must submit an official Application for Admission.
Click the Apply for Admission button above and follow these steps:
- Step 1: Choose "First Time User Account Creation"
- Step 2: Create your Login ID and PIN
- Step 3: Once logged in, choose "High School Early College" application type and click continue
- Step 4: Choose the appropriate term and enter your name
- Step 5: Complete all the steps of the application and submit
- Step 6: You will receive a congratulations message once your application has been successfully submitted
There are printable instructions you can use to guide you through the process.
To register, login to your My Northeast account.
Access a copy of the Northeast Early College Handbook for more details on requirements and policies.
You've completed your application, now what?
- Claim your account: Watch for an email with your username and log in information. Once your account is claimed, you’re ready to register!
- Send us your test scores: If you’re taking a math and/or English class, send your ACT or MAP scores to the Admissions Office - admreg@northeast.edu
- Register for classes: To register, log in to your My Northeast account found here.
- Order books: The best way to order books is through the Northeast Hawk Shop. Textbooks are provided for students taking Fridays @ Northeast or P2T courses. Check with your school counselor to see if books are provided for any dual credit courses in your high school.
There are several different ways to earn college credits while in high school
- Dual Credit classes - Dual Credit classes allow students to earn both high school and college credits at the same time.
- College Credit classes only – Enroll in classes on campus, online or virtually.
- Fridays @ Northeast - The Fridays @ Northeast program is a unique opportunity for high school seniors to spend Fridays on the college campuses as college students using our lab spaces and classrooms.
- Pathways 2 Tomorrow - The Pathways 2 Tomorrow program is a consortium consisting of eight school districts who pool their resources together to provide hands-on, career and technical education for students.
Dual Credit classes allow students to earn both high school and college credits at the same time. In order to offer a Dual Credit class, a school must follow guidelines that are set by the Nebraska Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission. These rules cover teacher credentials, amount of time spent in class, and coursework rigor.
The Fridays @ Northeast program is a unique opportunity for high school seniors to spend Fridays on the college campuses as college students using our lab spaces and classrooms. The courses offered through Fridays @ Northeast will provide an introduction to a variety of career and technical programs and will lead into a program of study upon high school graduation. You will receive high school credit in addition to college credit per approval of the high school.
Fridays @ Northeast Class Schedule
A notable difference between College Credit only and Dual Credit classes is that the instructors are qualified to teach only at the college level, not at the high school level. You can take College Credit only classes in the following ways:
- With an online course, which is conducted over the internet through Canvas where the instructor and students exchange information, assignments, and tests
- By attending classes on-campus or at one of Northeast’s extended campuses.
- Virtually using a video conferencing tool, such as Zoom. The course is synchronous and will meet via video conferencing at the day(s) and time shown in the course schedule.
If you need assistance, please contact:
Admissions and Registration
(402) 844-7260 | admreg@northeast.edu or
Makala Williams, Director of Early College (800) 348-9033, ext. 7118, or (402) 844-7118
makalaw@northeast.edu