High Schoolers Get a Head Start on College

This spring, 53 students from the Applied Technology High School (ATHS) on the campus of Bergen Community College completed their studies and graduated with associate degrees … one month prior to earning their high school diplomas. The graduates represent the latest members of a growing nationwide cohort of high school students who simultaneously enroll in college-level classes while working toward a high school diploma. According to the federal government, high school students now account for more than 20% of all community college enrollees. Locally, Bergen maintains 13 partnerships with schools including Cliffside Park High School, Garfield High School, and the aforementioned ATHS to provide students with access to college classes. Bergen President Eric M. Friedman, Ph.D., said the programs remain popular for a reason.

“Ambitious high school students and their families remain incredibly excited about the opportunity to earn college credits – or a full associate degree,” he said. “The student has an opportunity to grow as a learner through advanced coursework and potentially enter college with a significant number of credits already completed. Of course, this saves both time and money for the student. The incredible growth of our high school partnership programs reflects our community’s support of the competitive advantage we have developed for local students.”

Bergen has become a regional leader in establishing college-high school partnerships, creating a portfolio of offerings that serve students regardless of their individual goals. Early college programs, like Bergen’s arrangement with ATHS, offer high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to enroll in classes at the College where they can attend in-person or online.
Meanwhile, the dual enrollment program allows students to earn college credits at their home high school, taught by a Bergen-approved instructor. Rounding out the offerings, Bergen also offers a non-degree option for juniors and seniors and a grant-funded preparation program for seniors planning to articulate into the College. Collectively, 2,962 students from 53 high schools participated in one of the four programs last year. Growth has continued unabated since the College first launched the high school partnership initiative more than a decade ago, according to Bergen Director of College Readiness and Early College Programs Laura Madera.

“We’re opening doors of opportunity for students that might otherwise remain closed for years,” she said. “This good work is only possible through a robust collaboration with our partners: superintendents, principals, guidance supervisors, department deans and professors. We are grateful to have such dedicated partners by our side.”

Those partners include the Bergen County Technical Schools district, which operates ATHS. The ATHS model remains especially unique because of its position on Bergen’s campus, giving students a true, on-campus collegiate experience according to ATHS Principal Dennis Montone.

“This experience prepares them not only for the academic rigor of college, but also for all of the supplementary skills that lead to college success,” he said. “At ATHS, students learn how to register for a college class, how to work with the bursar’s office, how to form peer study groups and how to access college resources like the tutoring center and office hours. None of this would be possible without our unique integration and strong partnership with Bergen.”

ATHS blends a high school curriculum, college classes and hands-on technical training in three concentrations: engineering technology, health professions and cybersecurity. The high school opened in 2015 as a joint venture of the College and the BCTS district, facilitated through Bergen County government. BCTS operates under the auspices of county government, while the College receives approximately 15 percent of its funding from county appropriations, making the district and the College “county cousins,” according to BCTS Superintendent of Schools Howard Lerner, Ed.D.

“The joint venture between the Bergen Community College and Applied Technology High School provides an unparalleled opportunity for students to experience college-level coursework and hands-on CTE training while still in high school, setting them on a path to success in both higher education and their future careers,” he said. “I am immensely proud of our students who have not only completed their high school requirements but also earned associate degrees through our unique partnership. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and ambition of our students and their families.”

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