Bard Early Colleges Supported by Louis D Srybnik Foundation
IRK Magazine
The Louis D Srybnik Foundation is working to diminish poverty and the gap between rich and poor through their support of the Bard Early Colleges Program. This program assumes that many adolescents are capable and eager to start college at a younger age. The program gives students the opportunity to do so in a supportive environment. This occurs during their final two years of high school. It fosters a love of learning, civic, and intellectual engagement. This approach propels students to success in college and beyond.

The Education Chasm
There is a chasm for low-income and underrepresented students. They are frequently confronted with both the weakest bridge and the widest road to cross between high school and college. Unfortunately, the vast majority of students who enter college never complete a two- or four-year degree. Nearly half of low-income, first-generation college students drop out before completing their degrees. At 80 of the nation’s most selective colleges, students from the top 1% of family income outnumber those from the bottom 40%.
The Bard Early Colleges Answer
The Bard Early Colleges program awards up to 60 college credits and an A.A degree in addition to a state high school diploma. The program holds all courses on the same campus, and the same faculty teaches across all four years. It can save up to approximately $27,200 for students at public colleges. Similarly, it can save $72,600 for students at private colleges. As a result, the program achieves this by reducing the time needed to complete a bachelor’s degree. In addition, Bard Early Colleges leads a national network of public high schools. Consequently, they enable disadvantaged young people to complete two years of tuition-free college education credit. This occurs during the traditional four years of high school. This makes it possible to obtain a high school and college degree in 6 years.
A Proven Pathway
The Bard Early Colleges model has proven extraordinarily effective in positioning young people of all backgrounds to succeed in higher education.

Bard Early College enables high school-age students to get up to 60 college credits
If you want to learn more about the Bard Early Colleges Program or want to support giving students a head start visit https://bhsec.bard.edu
This article is sponsored by the Louis D. Srybnik Foundation
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