Louis D. Srybnik Foundation Supports the Bard Early Colleges Program

Bard Early College enables high school-age students to get up to 60 college credits

The Louis D Srybnik foundation is working to diminish poverty and the gap between rich and poor through their support of the Bard Early Colleges Program. This program is predicated on the assumption that many adolescents are capable and eager to start college at a younger age. Giving students the opportunity to do so in a supportive environment during their final two years of high school, while fostering a love of learning, civic and intellectual engagement, propels students to success in college and beyond.

There is a chasm for low-income and underrepresented students, who are frequently confronted with both the weakest bridge and the widest road to cross between high school and college. The vast majority of students who enter college never complete a two- or four-year degree. Nearly half of low-income, first-generation college students drop out before completing their degrees. At 80 of the nation's most selective colleges, students from the top 1% of family income outnumber those from the bottom 40%.

The program awards up to 60 college credits and an A.A degree in addition to a state high school diploma. All courses are held on the same campus, and the same faculty teaches across all four years. It can save up to approximately $27,200 for students at public colleges and $72,600 for students at private colleges by reducing the time needed to complete a bachelor’s degree. Bard Early Colleges leads a national network of public high schools that enable disadvantaged young people to complete two years of tuition-free college education credit during the traditional four years of high school making it possible to obtain a high school and college degree in 6 years.

The Bard Early College model has proven extraordinarily effective in positioning young people of all backgrounds to succeed in higher education.

If you want to learn more about the Bard Early Colleges Program or want to support giving students a head start visit https://bhsec.bard.edu

This article is sponsored by the Louis D. Srybnik Foundation