wackypiggy wrote:
What types of online options are there for high school students to get an early start on a college degree?
Hi Wacky,
There are hundreds of online high schools, also known as virtual high schools.
Many states now offer FREE public virtual high schools for high school age students. These public virtual high schools provide everything from advanced placement (AP) courses online to summer schools to core courses for home schoolers.
Florida Virtual School(FLVS), founded in 1997, is the country’s first, state-wide Internet-based public high school. Florida Virtual School is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and courses are NCAA approved. They are designed to provide AP, summer and regular core courses online to current high school students. They are not a diploma granting institution which means you are assumed to be a current high school student at some school or a home schooler. Florida residents take courses for FREE while non-Florida residents take courses based on tuition rates.
Some states do charge for high school online. The availability of virtual high school and its cost for you will vary by state. (If you tell us your state we can research your local options to see if there is a free public virtual high school for you to consider.)
There are 2 things you'll want to watch out for no matter which state you live in when searching for an online high school.
1) Look for accredited options, with regional accreditation being the best form for wide recognition. See
Distance Learning and Accreditation, this article references colleges but the same advice applies to high schools.
2) Look for a free or low cost option. There are a flood of new for-profit online high schools. These are both expensive and often lower in quality. These new for-profits advertise a lot online so expect to wade through a lot of high school web sites that will mislead you in an effort to make you think they are "public high schools." Watch out for scams!
Your State Department of Education can help you find the best real public or free resources in your state or ask one of the following trusted sources for help:
List of Public Virtual High Schools
Florida Virtual High School Public
Michigan Virtual University Public High School
Indiana University Online High School
University of Nebraska Online High School
Goof Luck Out There!
Tell us your state of residency and we'll direct you to more specific options.
Vicky Phillips
