SHAPA Early College
Earn college credit while still in high school.
Questions? Contact our Early College Counselor today:
We Parter With:
Frequently Asked Questions
Early College is a program that allows qualified high school students the opportunity to take tuition-and-fee-free college classes through a partnered college or university. Classes are taken on campus or online, through college portals. Any earned credit applies towards both a student’s high school diploma and future college degree. Some students even graduate high school with a college degree!
To participate in SHAPA’s Early College program, a student must, at minimum:
- be enrolled with SHAPA as a high schooler, 14 years old or older
- be in strong academic standing and/or on track to graduate
- demonstrate college-readiness skills (self-advocacy, organization, communication, etc.)
SHAPA pays for all of the tuition and fees associated with up to 12 college credits per college term. We also offer $75, per course, up to a $225 limit, for textbooks and course materials.
- If you are a current SHAPA student:
- Contact your Mentor Teacher and School Counselor to transition into the Early College program.
- If you are not a current SHAPA student:
- Apply for SHAPA, indicating Early College interest on your application. Our Registrar and your new Mentor Teacher will contact you to get you started with the Early College application process.
SHAPA currently partners with Portland Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Lane Community College, and Oregon Institute of Technology.
If you want to enroll in SHAPA’s Early College program, but the college you’d like to attend isn’t listed in our current partners, reach out to our School Counselor, Kale Budgeon. We’re always happy to start new partnerships or find a program that works for you.
Every Early College students’ schedule looks different, because each schedule is personalized to fit the student’s current needs and future college and career goals. Full-time enrollment, part-time enrollment, in-person classes, online classes, courses with meeting times, or courses with no meeting times; it all depends! Talk to Kale Budgeon, our School Counselor, about what Early College could look like for you.
Absolutely! Some Early College students prefer to take their college classes from the comfort of their own home. Most colleges have robust online offerings, though some classes, like lab sciences or career and technical education courses, are only offered in-person by some colleges.
SHAPA pays for 12 college credits per term, but many of our students choose to take more than those 12 credits. There is no limit to how many credits a student can attempt each term, but anything above that 12 credit limit is the financial responsibility of the student.
Kale Budgeon
Early College Counselor
Kale Budgeon works with our Early College students from application through enrollment. As the liaison for SHAPA families and our partner colleges, Mr. Budgeon can answer your questions about the program. Contact him here:
(503) 560-8308