Transcripted Credit Summit at Nicolet College Expands Opportunities for Students to Earn College Credits in High School

The number of Northwoods students earning college credits while still in high school is expected to continue growing into the future as dozens of high school teachers recently attended the Transcripted Credit Summit at Nicolet College. 

“At its core, the Summit is all about growing that teaching infrastructure and increasing the number of teachers who are certified to teach college-level classes in high schools across the Northwoods,” said Sarah Gruber, Nicolet Dual Credit coordinator. 

“In the end the students are the biggest winners. They have the opportunity to get a jump start on college by earning college credits while still in high school and all for free. They don’t pay tuition and they also get to use the credits toward the requirements for high school graduation.” 

As word has spread about Transcripted Credit and the number of eligible teachers grown so has the number of students taking advantage of the program. 

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 275 high school students earned a total of 887 Nicolet College credits. 

In the recently completed 2021-2022 academic year, those numbers have grown to 369 high school students earning 1,263 Nicolet College credits. 

Participating high schools include Crandon, Elcho, Lakeland Union, Laona, Mercer, Northland Pines, Phelps, Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Tomahawk, and Wabeno. 

The benefits to students also go beyond earning college credits, Gruber noted. 

In order to teach a Transcripted Credit class, instructors must meet Wisconsin Technical College System certification requirements. 

“Transcripted Credit classes serve as a great bridge for students to see what college-level classes are like,” Gruber said. “They really do prepare students for the rigors of college academics so they will have a better idea of what to expect if and when they do attend college.” 

Current Nicolet College Transcripted Credit classes taught in high schools include Business, Accounting, Manufacturing/Welding, Culinary Arts, General Education, Early Childhood Education, Information Technology, and Automotive. 

The high school instructors teaching these classes are also paired up with Nicolet instructors who then serve as mentors in each of the academic areas. 

“This serves as a support system of sorts for the instructors, especially when they are new to teaching Transcript Credit classes,” Gruber explained. “The Summit we held at Nicolet gave these new instructors the chance to meet with their Nicolet mentors and to really get their feet on the ground so they are prepared to teach college-level classes moving forward.”