Middle College Program

The Middle College Program is a high school alternative program first established in New York. It is a collaboration between a high school district and a community college for high school students who desire a more independent learning environment. Students take a combination of core high school courses and college courses to receive their diploma and graduate. Although students are required to take courses to fulfill their academic requirements, the students have a choice of a variety of classes to fulfill said requirements. Students are allowed to attribute the college credits earned in middle college toward their future college career after they graduate and they are also allowed to combine those together. The core classes are provided by teachers employed by the high school district while all the college courses are taken with real college students at the community college. Many of the middle colleges in the United States today are funded by various organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the high school district themselves.