Is High Mountain Enrichment a school? Is it accredited?

No—it’s better than a school, actually. It is an enrichment program designed to provide everything needed to successfully apply to college and earn a high school diploma, all delivered in a flexible, affordable model. While the program itself is not accredited (and will not seek to be, since it’s not a school), all the dual credit courses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (the entity which accredits all universities). Not only will your student have a dynamic academic transcript to submit to colleges, but he or she will have relevant experience in his/her field of interest, which is particularly impressive to admissions committees.

Students at High Mountain are technically homeschooled according to the State, and parents are ultimately responsible for being sure all graduation requirements are met. However, the program is specifically designed to meet and exceed these requirements in-house, with no actual home schooling taking place.

How do dual credit courses work? Will they transfer to another university?

The dual credit courses are taken through Colorado Christian University (the majority of courses) and Bryan College in Tennessee (Bible only). Because both of these schools are accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (the entity which accredits all universities), the courses are very likely to transfer to any college or university to which you’re applying. Different schools have different policies on what and how much will transfer, however, so it’s best to check the policies of individual schools when applying.

For CCU courses, students must be 15 years old when the course starts to get college credit. This is their rule, not ours.

What is the all-in cost to attend? Is there financial aid available?

The cost of the program is based entirely on the number of courses taken, at $1,000 per one credit courses and $500 per half credit course. To meet most college guidelines, you will need to take five core courses (English, math, social science, foreign language, and science) and 2-3 electives per year. To get a high school diploma, you need far fewer (really just 4 hours of instruction/day for the school year). CCU charges $250 per course in order to get the credit (Bible courses are $500 per course to Bryan College). This is actually a pretty good deal, considering most college courses are in the thousands of dollars per course. It is entirely possible to get the equivalent of two years of college completed in this program.

If this sounds out of reach for your family, please reach out. We have some scholarships available.

How do I deal with transcripts and ensure we have all the courses required?

We will provide a transcript template and course descriptions that will help you fill in your transcript. We encourage students to be involved and will have meetings to help guide you in this process, which is not nearly as daunting as it sounds. Because many courses will be delivered via Colorado Christian University and our local instructors considered as university faculty, and your transcript will reflect this, providing legitimacy and proof of your ability to succeed at a university level.

Is there college and career counseling available?

Yes. Each student will have the ability to connect with an individual from our curated team of mentors, each of whom has experienced remarkable professional success in his/her field. Students will be responsible for reaching out and establishing a professional mentoring relationship in order to gain wisdom and insight into possible college or career paths. Additionally, Katie Connolly (who was a college counselor for 15 years) is available for private college counseling, SAT/ACT instruction, and extra help with high school transcripts.

Will there be extracurricular trips or events for students?

Yes, we will provide an adventurous outdoor program with multiple trips per year, providing opportunities to master technical skills like a climbing certification and wilderness first aid. We are working hard to design this now—stay tuned for events and dates as we get closer to the fall.

As for social events, we want this to be a community effort. If students or parents have a great idea for an excursion or event, please reach out and organize this! We also encourage you to play sports or participate in other activities at the public high school (sports are open to homeschooled students) or around town.

Are courses all delivered in person?

The goal is to deliver all courses in person. Since we are launching a full scale secondary program in a small town, there is a good chance that upper level math and science courses will initially need to be delivered online. CCU has great options for this, as does CMC and many other online programs. See our course pages for more information.

What if I have to miss a lot of class for sports or family travel?

It is your responsibility to check in with your instructors individually. We want this to be a flexible program, and see the incredible value in traveling with your family and participating in sports outside the Valley. If you know you will miss every afternoon class, there are many alternative ways to get elective credit (online, summer courses, etc.). That said, instructors will need you to be there at least 80% of the time to make sure the quality of learning is high.

How much freedom will students have to come and go?

Since our mission is to develop leaders, everything is designed to empower students with responsibility and ownership. They are free to come and go between classes, just as students at a university would. Each instructor will take attendance, and students who miss more than 20% of the time will not pass. The courses will be challenging, and students will likely not have abundant time to waste. They will be allowed to stay on campus during school hours as long as they are respectful and using their free time to study.

What if I am transferring in from another high school?

Not a problem—we can work with you to ensure you get credit for all the courses you’ve already taken and build on these to complete all requirements before you graduate. It does not matter to us what grade you’re in when you apply.

What if I want to take a course that isn’t listed, like Calculus or Forensics or Coding?

We will not be able to provide all types of courses in-house that students might be interested in. However, there are a myriad of online course options that also provide college credit and excellent instruction. These can be taken in place of any of the courses we offer, and you only pay us for what you’re taking with us. We are attempting to provide engaging courses that meet the needs of most students, but we also encourage students to pursue what they are particularly interested in, and lots of times the best options for niche interests will be online.

Is it possible to get an Associate’s Degree by completing this program?

Yes, it is possible to get a 60 hour Associate’s Degree from CCU by completing this program. Students will have to be diligent to fulfill all of the requirements of this program, which may include taking online courses in addition to what we are able to offer in-house. More information is available on the CCU website.