For most students, it’s a pretty standard progression through school: elementary school, middle school, high school and then college. But for some students at Sinclair Community College, the line between high school and college can become a little bit blurry.
Sinclair, like many colleges, offers a program with high schools sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education called Post Secondary Enrollment Options, or PSEO.
PSEO is program that allows Ohio students to enroll in college-level courses and receive college credit and high school graduation credit through successful completion of the college-level courses. The program is open and free to qualifying public high school students in grades 9-12.
Tuition, books and fees for classes are covered by the student’s high school. However, if a student drops a class or doesn’t successfully complete a course, then the student will have to reimburse their high school for any costs incurred.
The PSEO program applies to many kinds of students, according to Sherry Holley, coordinator of the PSEO program at Sinclair.
“We have students who are very academic-minded in the program, as well as students who are just ready to be done with high school,” Holley said.
She added that students are welcome to take classes at any of the Sinclair locations, and online as well.
Loren Smith, a student at Sinclair, took part in the PSEO program to get the most out of her senior year.
“Well, I basically didn’t have any classes to take during my senior year, so my Academic Advisor at Wayne High School suggested it. I thought it would be a great way to take classes for college, to get it out of the way. And they were free, which was great,” Smith said.
Smith acknowledged that the thought of taking college classes during high school can be a little intimidating.
“At first, I was concerned about the difficulty of the classes, but the school made it easy to keep up. I never really felt overwhelmed,” Smith said.
Some students fell that PSEO can be a bit of a sacrifice.
Kacie Klarer, another student at Sinclair, had the opportunity to go through the PSEO program and turned it down.
“I had the opportunity to do PSEO while in high school, but chose not to because I didn’t want to miss out on the high school experience. I was active in athletics, student government and senior cabinet. I wanted to enjoy my senior year,” Klarer said.
However, not everyone finds themselves looking for the high school experience. Coartney Freeland found the college environment much more inviting.
“I didn’t really see much that I liked at my high school. I found plenty to do at Sinclair to occupy my time. And I still got to do prom, and things like that,” Freeland said.
Freeland did find some aspects of the PSEO program frustrating though.
“Attending PSEO counts against your financial aid cap, and you can’t declare a major until you’re out of high school, but some classes require you to name a major. It was a little bit frustrating,” Freeland said.
She said she would recommend the program to some students, but not all students.
“I would definitely recommend it; I don’t know if I would recommend it for everyone. You do have to be very motivated because you have to regulate your schedule more when you’re in college, because you’re not in school every day and your teachers aren’t always on you like they are in high school to get your stuff turned in,” Freeland said. “So you do have to be self-motivated and self-regulated.”
Carrie Farrell, a Communication major in her third year at Sinclair Community College, participated in the PSEO program as well. Farrell was homeschooled and since you cannot participate in the program if you’re homeschooled, Farrell had to attend King High School and graduated in 2012. In a telephone interview, Farrell talked about her likes and dislikes of the program.
“I liked the fact that I could take college courses during high school, I also liked the fact that it was free of charge,” Farrell said. “It helped me tinker around with different majors.”
Students are responsible for their own transportation, according to Holley. This means that they may find themselves driving to their high schools, to Sinclair and back.
“I didn’t like having to go back and forth to campus,” Farrell said.
However, she said she felt fine going into the program.
“Before I was homeschooled, I attended private school, so I was prepared,” she said. “I wish I would have done it sooner.”
While the PSEO program has its pros and cons, it has passed the test of time. The program began at Sinclair in 1989, when it was first mandated by the Department of Education.
Holley said that any students interested in the program should speak with their high school guidance counselor to see if they meet all the requirements and for testing information. A student in the PSEO program is considered a college student and is expected to perform on the same level as other Sinclair Community College students.
“These students, they’re smart,” Holley said.
For more information about the PSEO program, contact Sherry Holley at (937)512-2461.