Saving Money by Earning College Credits in High School

By Guest Contributor Monica Flores

One of the ways that students can save money in college is by obtaining college credits before they ever set foot in a college.

How can I earn college credits while in High School?

There are two main ways you may be able to earn college credits while in high school: attending local college-sponsored classes (i.e., taking a local community college course for your math class), or by taking the Advanced Placement (AP) exam.

Attending College Classes

By junior or senior year, some high school students have “aged out” of the level of instruction available at their high school, and they may be mentally and academically prepared to enroll in a local private, public, or community college in order to continue their coursework. This may happen, for example, if there are advanced foreign language courses, English, math or computer science, statistics, or other types of science or social science courses. Often the high school student will be a dual enrollee, and sometimes pay toward fees, for that upper-level class he/she is taking.

College courses taken through a program like this will be registered on the student’s transcript: make sure to get a copy of these grades transferred back to the high school, so that potential college reviewers may easily view the coursework and “count” these classes towards college requirements.

What is AP?

The Advanced Placement program is a straightforward way for you to receive exposure to college-level instruction, while at the high-school level. AP students may sometimes earn college credits by participating in the program while in high school and earning scores on an end-of-year AP examination.

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How is AP good for academics?

A student’s participation in AP classes demonstrates a level of maturity and discipline needed for college, and a heavier course load of AP classes shows guidance counselors, teachers, and college admissions review boards that the student is well-prepared for college-level instruction.

How do AP Classes impact a GPA?

In general, an AP class may be thought of as getting graded on a top scale of “5.0,” whereas a regular level class might be graded on a top scale of “4.0.” That extra quality point means, oftentimes, that your grade point average goes up simply by participating in an AP class: an “A” in an AP class will earn a 5.0, whereas an “A” in a regular class will earn a 4.0. If you have the ability to take on the level of effort, to participate in any AP course, it might be worth it simply for the chance to raise your GPA.

How does AP save money?

We often think about the academic aspect of AP: where the rigor and hands-on nature of the classes provide challenge and a higher level of complexity and depth than “regular” classes — these are all great preparation for the incoming college student. An additional, important factor to consider is that AP classes may help you and your family save on tuition fees, which could run anywhere between $2000 to $40,000 in the school year! It’s a substantial savings if you can take advantage of it.

An Example of Saving on Tuition

As an incoming freshman, I had already received college credits due to earning a “4” or a “5” on certain AP tests that I passed. I had also taken community classes in introductory ecology. Overall, coming in with these additional credits meant I was able to earn my bachelor’s degree within 7 semesters (rather than the typical 8 semesters). By graduating in this amount of time, I was able to save my parents almost $20k in tuition, residency, books, meals, and airfare (at the time). Any amount you are able to save will help tremendously: the opportunity to create these savings is available to you through any college-level or AP programs you take.

Is Advanced Placement an option at your campus?

Check with your academic counselor or in your guidance office to understand the availability of AP courses at your school, and take some time to understand your schedule and requirements, to see if you are able to take AP classes toward college credit.

Is Advanced Placement not available at your school?

In some cases, AP may not be available at your school. If so, you may still benefit from the AP Program by going through a self-study course, then enrolling for the AP Exam at the end of the year. For example, you might end up taking an honors class, or a more rigorous program (such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) program). While taking the class, remember to sign up for the AP Exam separately toward the end of the year. Then, go through the coursework on your own or with a trusted advisor. Khan Academy offers online course instruction and testing as an official partner of the AP program, and you may view their website for online courses from AP Biology and AP Chemistry through AP Physics 1 and 2, AP World History, and much more. You can find more information about this program in our article Free education – fact or fiction?

For the very independent student it is possible to purchase AP books and study at your own pace. First check on Collegeboard to see when the AP Exams are being held, so you can plan your schedule accordingly.

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How to Plan out your AP Courses

Most high schools require a minimum number of courses, inside certain subjects, in order to receive a high school diploma. Take some time in the beginning of each academic year to understand what’s needed that year, as well as what’s needed overall. You may find some opportunities to take on additional coursework  and/or to take the AP Exam, will both give you some insight into how a college course would run, and also potentially save you the requirement of having to take that same course again if/when you attend college.

How to Get Signed Up for AP

At your school, with the help of your guidance counselor or teacher, you’ll want to enroll in the AP version of the class. Straight away you’ll need to allocate 2 hours of studying, for every 1 hour of instruction. Your school will have information on how to take the AP Exam for your desired course: if you don’t hear, remember to log in yourself and register to take the exam.

College Board and Costs

Want to know how much AP coursework is allowed at the college of your choice? You’ll set up a  CollegeBoard.org account to receive your AP scores: and, you may also use that site to understand how much AP credit your desired campus accepts. Each AP exam score might cost between $60 – $85, or perhaps your school will pay for the exam sitting fee. That initial investment may pay off: for example, if you pay (or receive a fee waiver) for an $85 exam, but then you do not need to pay tuition for the 3 – 16 free credits you would earn (AP German = 16 credits), then you will automatically receive a large savings by not having to pay for those classes.

How much College Credit will I Earn?

Your final AP exam score will determine how much the college or university you’re headed to, will accept in lieu of college credit. For example, at the University of California, their stated policy is: “AP examinations presented with official scores of 3, 4 or 5 will receive units of college credit and, in specific instances, may be comparable to some lower-division courses. College credit will apply toward the minimum 180 quarter units required for a bachelor’s degree.” Caution: some colleges do not offer college credits for AP exams, or only give credit for a score of 5. If you know which college you are applying for – check their policies.

What’s the Next Step?

Depending on where you are in your high school career, you may want to connect with your guidance counselor to get clarity on: what types of classes are offered at your school, how you may enroll in higher-level classes or sign up for the end-of-the-year AP exam, and how you may get support from your counselor or from teachers.

Always continue to ask for help and be open to receiving guidance and constructive feedback. Your teachers or counselors may have better insight into how you can earn college credit while still taking high-school level classes. The savings is worth it: do what you can to keep focused and to continue moving forward with your plan.