Students learn benefits of early college and transfer programs

More than 60 juniors and seniors attended a field trip to Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill on Tuesday and Wednesday to learn about the benefits of Dual Enrollment and Early College Programs.

Thanks to a partnership with NECC, Whittier students may start earning college credits during their junior and senior years by taking college classes as part of their regular schedule at Whittier. This could save them thousands off their college tuitions and valuable time.

While visiting NECC’s Haverhill campus, they also learned about the benefits of attending a community college after high school, putting them on track to participate in MassTransfer,  a collaboration between Massachusetts’ community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts that allows students to transfer seamlessly, stay on track and minimize the time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“Within 5 years in Massachusetts there will be more jobs where a bachelor’s degree is required than people in the state who have that degree,” said Danny Richer, NECC’s Director of Recruitment and Admissions.

Whittier students asked questions about managing their time and also shared their experiences of being enrolled in college courses while still in high school.