In 2018 the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT) and the Hope Public School District (HPSD) embarked on a public school partnership program that was the first of its kind in Arkansas and the Ark-La-Tex region. The fall 2018 semester marked the beginning of the Hope Collegiate Academy. What made the program particularly unique was that academy students would take all their courses on the college campus. The pilot year of the program on the UA Hope campus was so successful that the Texarkana Arkansas School District (TASD) partnered with UAHT to begin the Arkansas High Collegiate Academy at the Texarkana campus in 2019.
The goal of the academy was to provide students with a three-year curriculum that allowed them the opportunity to complete a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously. “We are proud to say our goal for this class has been achieved,” said Mikki Curtis, Collegiate Academy Dean. “This year, a total of twenty-seven students from the Hope and Arkansas High Collegiate Academies are expected to graduate. These high school seniors will walk across the stage at Hempstead Hall on May 11 with their high school diploma and their associate of arts degree at the same time. That is quite an accomplishment!”
Both collegiate academies are public schools that are free of charge to qualifying students in the HPSD and TASD. “Students enjoy many benefits by enrolling in the collegiate academy,” said Curtis. “A few of the benefits include a college atmosphere and the freedom of a college schedule. One of the top benefits, however, is the cost-effectiveness of the academy. Students in the academy receive the first two years of their college degree 100% free of charge. In fact, based on the average annual tuition and fee costs for four-year universities in Arkansas, our collegiate academy students saved $474,876 on tuition and fees by attending the academy.”
“We are proud to be able to offer this one-of-a-kind opportunity to students in our service area,” said Curtis. “The college, along with our wonderful partners at the HPSD and TASD, believe in the potential of all our students and are determined to offer them the best educational opportunities possible. These inaugural academy graduates are proof that our students can accomplish anything. I hope you join me in saying ‘congratulations!’ to them all on this extraordinary accomplishment.”
The application period for the Hope and Arkansas High collegiate academies is open now.
To apply for the Hope Collegiate Academy, visit https://www.uaht.edu/hope-collegiate-academy/.
To apply for the Arkansas High Collegiate Academy, visit https://www.uaht.edu/arkansas-high-collegiate-academy/.
For more information, call 870-722-8133 or email [email protected].
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