Darlington
High School
The Benefits of ECHP
THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO BEING A PART OF THE DHS EARLY COLLEGE HONORS PROGRAM. HERE ARE JUST A FEW:
Two Year College Degree
Students who meet the college requirements, commit to summer work, and dedicate themselves to advanced academic work, can earn a two-year associate degree by the time they graduate high school.
College Credit
Students who pass their college courses with a C or higher are assured to have that credit transfer to any South Carolina public college or university. Students who take and pass all of the courses currently offered will earn over 90 hours of college credit, which is the equivalent of more than two years of college. Therefore, those students will be ready for the next phase of life after college - work or graduate school - up to two years ahead of their cohort.
No national or standardized tests on which your college credit rests
While the classes do have tests, quizzes, and final exams like any other course, there are no standardized tests on which your college credit depends. This is a big difference from AP and IB programs. No matter what grade students make in each of those classes if they don't earn a minimum score on their standardized tests, then they do not earn college credit. And even then, some colleges don't give credit for passing the test; rather, they need to make a perfect score. That is not the case with our college courses.
Financial Savings
There is currently no cost to our families for taking our classes. Tuition, books, and fees currently being charged are paid for through the Darlington High School magnet program. Each year we evaluate our budget and financial needs. We believe every child deserves an opportunity at a world class education, so we make every attempt to fund the Early College Honors Program. In situations where tuition or textbooks are not completely funded, they are offered at a reduced cost so as to make the courses as affordable as possible. Students who take advantage of all of the classes offered in the Early College Program can save up to $55,000 in college expenses, which is the cost of two years of tuition, room, and board at some of South Carolina's state universities.