University of Colorado Denver offers CU Succeed classes in schools all over the state, allowing high school students the chance to experience the rigorous coursework they will face in college while simultaneously receiving college credit (Welcome to CU Succeed).
Frederick High School (FHS) is one of the schools lucky enough to have CU Succeed available. When asked to describe the program in a few words Dr. Fox, principal of FHS, confidently said, “Expanded Collegiate Credit Opportunities.”
In recent years, the Frederick CU Succeed program has grown at a rapid pace, now offering 23 courses to students. This number includes classes that count as multiple such as Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry, which counts as 3 due to its lecture and lab portions.
As the program continues to grow, more students are taking advantage of CU Succeed and other college classes available. In an interview with Dr. Fox, he stated that on average, seniors graduate with “about 6 [college] credits” just through CU. The chart below shows the full breakdown of total credits.
He also spoke on the continued expansion of the program stating that, “next year, we will build to bring on some math as CU Succeed as well. We’ve also added music options.”
These college credits have substantial benefits for students, but one of the most significant is an official CU transcript. This transcript can be utilized on college applications and once in college, provide students the potential of having already fulfilled freshman class requirements; allowing students to be a semester or even a year through college depending on the classes they completed.
Kate Greiner, a student at FHS emphasized: “I would highly recommend FHS students enroll in them. Between not having to take the AP Exam, being able to earn college credits for a C and above, and the ability to pay for my classes via scholarships, the CU Succeed program has greatly supported my co-curricular journey at Frederick.”
Dr. Fox also expressed how, “students [past graduates] report that ‘yeah I can take all my credits with 12 hours a semester and it allows me to hold a job.’”
Moreover, teachers encourage students to take these classes for a plethora of reasons. Mrs. Nugent, the AP Language and Composition teacher, expresses this through her statement on the program:
“This is the first year that AP Language is being offered as a CU Succeed class, so it’s really exciting. The AP exam for this course has one of the lowest pass rates in the entire nation, so I was really committed to finding an alternative way for kids to earn college credit. Taking the CU route with this course makes it possible for kids to earn twice as many college credits as they would with a typical AP course, and they get to have fun with their learning and take risks with their writing in a lower stakes environment.”
With benefits, there are always requirements. For all CU Succeed classes at FHS, a student must pass the class with a C or better to receive the college credit. The grade the student receives in class will be the grade recorded on their official CU transcript, with some exceptions based on their teacher.
If a student fails to receive a C or better, they will not receive college credit, but they will still be financially responsible for the cost of the class and the grade will be recorded on their official CU transcript. If a student feels they will not be able to meet this requirement, they have the option to drop or withdrawal from the course.
If a student drops the class by the drop deadline, which is October 18, 2024 for the fall semester (CU Succeed), then they will not have to pay tuition for that class. When a student fails to meet the drop deadline, their other option is to withdrawal. A withdrawal will be shown as a “W” on their transcript rather than a low grade they may have received. The withdrawal deadline is November 8, 2024 for the fall semester. Despite not receiving a grade, they will still be responsible for the tuition of the class.
When students take advantage of the class at FHS, there is a decreased course cost. Currently, in a CU Succeed class at Frederick, it is $77 per credit hour. This is significantly lower than classes on the CU campuses which typically range from $506-$629 per credit hour.
Mr. Davis, the AP Biology teacher at FHS wrote, “You will be saving money in the long run for these classes, and what does not go towards in-major classes can be used for elective credits. Classes here at FHS are also more involved meaning you will be able to receive more one-on-one help with the teacher as opposed to on CU campus. Plus the credits earned do not expire so if you want to go to college later on in life then those are still valid, with some exceptions.”
While this is a great decrease in cost, it can be slightly misleading. It is important to note and consider that each class varies in the number of credit hours it provides.
For example, AP Environmental Science is a total of 4 credits for the year, costing a total of $308. This is significantly different from AP Chemistry which is a total of 9 credits, costing closer to $693 for the year.
CU Succeed recognizes that this can be a financial burden on some families, including those with multiple children in CU Succeed classes or those with students in multiple CU Succeed classes. To help ease this burden, there are scholarships available to students.
The scholarships are through CU Succeed and all students are eligible to apply. FHS receives a set amount of money that they distribute for CU Succeed scholarships and that money is split among the applicants.
FHS requests that students and families only apply if there is a significant need. The goal of the scholarship is for students to have at least one of their classes covered and to have some financial burdens lifted, but it depends on the number of applicants and other varying factors.
To apply, students must fill out the application by September 30, 2024 for the fall semester and by January 30, 2025 for the spring semester.
Another financial consideration are the alternative opportunities and options available. This includes only registering for one semester of CU Succeed, taking the AP test, or just enrolling at Frederick without the college credit opportunities.
Some CU Succeed classes have credits that range across the two semesters such as AP Language and AP Government: 3 credits for the fall semester and 3 credits for the spring semester. This allows students to only enroll in one semester rather than two.
This could be depicted as: a student enrolls in CU Succeed during the fall semester for $231, but in the spring, they do not enroll in CU Succeed. This means that the student will be enrolled in AP Language their second semester at FHS, but not enrolled through CU Succeed, and will not have the associated cost.
While most teachers have moved away from teaching their classes based on the AP tests, taking the test is still an option available to students. This opportunity is only available for classes that are listed as AP. Information on a class being AP can be found on the FHS website in the Course Catalog and under the CU Succeed tab. The standard cost for an AP test for the 24/25 school year is $99 with some tests varying slightly (College Board).
If students are interested in taking the AP test rather than enrolling in CU Succeed, FHS teachers recommend students reach out to their teachers for additional information, test-prep material, and guidance.
Finally, students also have the ability to not register for CU Succeed classes or take the AP test. This simply means that they enroll in the class at FHS, receive credit on their high school transcript, and receive a weighted GPA if it is an AP class, but do not have the costs of the CU Succeed credit or the pressure of the AP test.
Overall, CU Succeed presents a plethora of opportunities that are open to students and the decreased cost applied with scholarships makes them even more accessible. These opportunities can help take them wherever they want to go. Whether it be utilizing them for a college degree, applying it to a trade, or anywhere in between.
