August 4, 2009  

MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Sherrard
202-994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

COLLEGE COMES EARLY FOR SCHOOL WITHOUT WALLS JUNIORS

Fourteen High School Students Enroll in Tuition-free GW Early College Program

WASHINGTON--Fourteen rising high school juniors in Washington, D.C., are getting a head start on their college educations through The George Washington University's first-ever Early College Program. The 15- and 16-year-old students, enrolled in their first on-campus college credit course this summer, will earn a D.C. Public School high school diploma, as well as an associate of arts degree from GW at the end of two years.

"GW's Early College Program is one way to increase the affordability and availability of postsecondary education for students of the District of Columbia," said GW President Steven Knapp.  "These gifted School Without Walls students will undertake college-level studies while finishing their high school education."

Richard Trogisch, School Without Walls principal, said, "This is unprecedented opportunity for School Without Walls students to take college credit courses and earn a degree from one of the most distinguished universities in the country."

The cohort of students are considered full-time GW students--each taking four to five classes per semester. Tuition fees are waived. After completion of the program, students will earn an associate of arts degree from GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Following high school graduation, students are encouraged to apply for admission to a GW bachelor's degree program or may transfer their college credits to another university.  

 To be considered for the program, School Without Walls students are required to apply for admission to the Early College Program through the University. Other requirements include recommendations from School Without Walls teachers and administrators, PSAT test scores and an interview with a GW admissions director. 

The Early College Program was born out of GW's long-standing partnership with the School Without Walls. The most recent focus of this collaboration is "to form an educational partnership with the goal of creating the premier high school in the United States through a collaborative programmatic partnership between a university and an urban high school."

"While the partnership with GW has been a long-standing one for over thirty-years, it is so exciting to see what the efforts of a public/private partnership can result in," said Sheila Harris, director of the GW Early College Program. "The fruits of this collaboration will have a lasting impact on the lives of our young people as we prepare them to be productive global citizens of the 21st century."

School Without Walls is a community of self-directed learners that engages District of Columbia adolescents in a rigorous high school program woven with substantive experiences based on the philosophy that life-long learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom. School Without Walls offers students intellectual and personal challenges leading to independent, intellectual inquiry combining academic excellence and responsible citizenship.

Located four blocks from the White House, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the nation's capital. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business, and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.

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