Middle College set to expand at Jackson State

Jackson State Community College (JSCC) is set to expand its Middle College offerings starting this fall, allowing all eligible West Tennessee high school students to earn an associate degree before they graduate high school.

“Working with area school officials, we’ve been able to expand our Middle College program to nearly all of our academic offerings, making it advantageous for all West Tennessee high school students that qualify to get a quality education and have a degree to their name before they graduate high school,” said Dr. Carol Rothstein, JSCC President. “This program is making it possible for students to graduate college early, reduce the amount of college debt they take on, and allowing them to get into their dream career sooner.”

The college is set to host a Middle College open house on Tuesday, May 13^th from 5-7 p.m. at the Jackson Campus to provide students and parents more information about the program.

Middle College, a program similar to the ever-popular dual enrollment program, allows high school students to enroll at JSCC while in high school so that they can earn a full college degree in tandem with their high school graduation requirements. The following 17 high schools in West Tennessee have already partnered with JSCC, allowing for eligible students to take advantage of this educational opportunity:

• Bolivar Central High School
• Bradford High School
• Camden Central High School
• Chester County High School
• Clarksburg High School
• Gibson County High School
• Hollow Rock-Bruceton High School
• HomeLife Academy
• Humboldt High School
• Jackson Central-Merry Early College High (ECH)
• Lexington Christian Academy
• Lexington High School
• Middleton High School
• Peabody High School
• Scotts Hill High School
• South Gibson High School
• West Carroll High School
• All Jackson-Madison County High Schools
  • Excluding JCM-Early College High and Madison Academic

Dual enrollment traditionally offers high school students the ability to earn college credit that they can then transfer to the college or four-year institution upon graduation. The Middle College program provides students with a two-year degree, allowing them to reduce their time at a four-year institution.

Currently, the college boasts more than 300 Middle College students currently enrolled in the program, with 120 students currently set to graduate in May.

Annually, Middle College students receive $4,000 in student funding through a Middle College Scholarship which pays for much of the degree costs. As part of JSCC’s expansion of the program, Jackson-Madison County School System has made funding available for a limited amount of JMCSS high school students to cover additional program costs to make this a no-cost opportunity.

Students interested in enrolling must meet the baseline criteria of a 3.0 high school GPA, enroll in 12 hours of courses, and attend one of the listed high schools. This opportunity is open to all high school juniors and seniors, with rising juniors being able to earn their degree prior to graduation. Students enrolling as a senior will have the ability to carry their credits after graduation into their freshman year at JSCC to complete their degree.

Criteria for eligibility can vary by high school along with additional funding opportunities. Please check with your respective school’s counselor to see if you are eligible. Not a currently listed high school? Contact David Clark, Director of High School Initiatives at dual@jscc.edu.

To learn more about the JSCC Middle College program, eligibility requirements, frequently asked questions and more, visit jscc.edu/middlecollege

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