(12/08/2023) To prepare students for their academic pursuits after high school, Anoka-Hennepin has many options that provide college-level academic rigor. College in the Schools (CIS) is one program that offers challenging coursework for high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit.

During the 2022-23 school year, 254 Anoka-Hennepin students registered for CIS courses within their high school setting, which resulted in 1,441 credits earned from the University of Minnesota (U of M).

Multiple benefits: Tuition last year at the U of M was $538.70 per credit. The tuition-free credits earned by Anoka-Hennepin students in CIS classes equate to more than $815,000 in saved tuition fees. Those credits are recognized by colleges and universities across the nation. 

“Although families may focus on the free U of M credits, research shows that the most important benefit is exposure to the rigor and challenge of college coursework,” said Emily Hanson, the College in the Schools program director at the U of M.

For more information about CIS, students can talk to their counselors or visit the CIS website.
 
Statistically speaking: Annual surveys of students who participated in CIS from 2010 through 2018 found:

• 97 to 99% of students would recommend it to other high school students.
• 85 to 89% felt better prepared academically for college.
• In 2022-23, 35% of the course registrations at U of M Twin Cities were by students of color. Of the Anoka-Hennepin students registered, 34% were students of color.

Other post-secondary options in Anoka-Hennepin: In addition to CIS, Anoka-Hennepin students can earn college credits through Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Articulated Credit (AC) courses, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB), Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO), and at the district’s Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP).