College Credit Opportunities for Students Still in High School

WVU Parkersburg offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. Taking college courses while still in high school can result in considerable cost savings for the student and has been shown to increase academic achievement. All college-level courses earned are transferable to other West Virginia colleges and universities and to most other institutions of higher education throughout the nation.

Early College Program

Early College classes are college classes offered to select high school students either on the campus of WVU Parkersburg, online, or at the student’s high school. Early College classes usually include general education courses. Early College classes are subject to tuition and fee charges. According to West Virginia state policies, students still enrolled in high school are not eligible for financial aid. Scholarships may be available for qualifying students but you must complete a Need-based Early College Scholarship Application to be eligible. See your high school guidance counselor for more information.

Early College Student Qualifications

To qualify for early college status, applicants must:

• Submit an Early College application form online (click here to apply) or to the Admissions Office located in the Center for Student Services at the Parkersburg campus or at the Jackson County Center in Ripley.
• Be at least a Sophomore in high school and have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA. High schools reserve the right to set a higher minimum GPA for their students.
• Achieve a minimum ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer placement test score for certain courses. Pre-requisites are listed in the course descriptions section of this catalog. High school students who do not score above required cut scores for Math and English are ineligible to attend those classes.

All college-level courses earned are transferable to other West Virginia colleges and universities and to most other institutions of higher education throughout the nation; however, it is up to the receiving institution to determine the application of any credits received at WVU at Parkersburg.

More information about the Early College program is available at https://www.wvup.edu/future-students/high-school-students/early-college/, by email or by contacting the Early College Director at (304) 424-8209.

EDGE (Earn a Degree-Graduate Early)

EDGE stands for Earn a Degree – Graduate Early. The EDGE program makes it possible for participants to earn free community and technical college credit in West Virginia while still in high school. EDGE courses generally consist of skilled and career technical classes offered in high schools and technical centers, such as welding or early childhood development. Since EDGE credits are offered as high school credit which can be articulated into college credit, there is no charge for EDGE courses. Based on WVCTC Series 28 policy, a complete listing of current EDGE credits at WVU at Parkersburg is available at https://www.wvup.edu/future-students/high-school-students/edge/?hilite=EDGE.

• EDGE Student Qualifications: Talk with your high school counselor or teacher to confirm program participation in EDGE. You will need to fill out the EDGE college enrollment form with your teacher and submit it for college credit when the program is completed.
  • To qualify for EDGE credit, a student must complete an approved program of study.
  • To acquire an EDGE Credit transcript, complete a WVUP EDGE Transcript request:  EDGE Transcript Request
• More information about the EDGE program is available at EDGE (Earn a Degree - Graduate Early) or by contacting the Center for Student Services at (304) 424-8310.

Caperton Center for Applied Technology

West Virginia University at Parkersburg, Wood County Schools, area businesses, industries, and laborers are collaborating as partners to prepare and develop the region’s workforce to meet the needs of current and potential employers. The Caperton Center for Applied Technology offers the best the region has to offer in instruction and training for those interested in the challenges of sophisticated technology careers. Wood County Schools’ high school students can pursue college programs while in high school and earn college credit while enrolled in the Caperton Center.