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AVID EARLY COLLEGE

Earn College Credits While in High School

What is the AVID Early College?

Just think about earning college credit while in high school without the tuition bills. Rising ninth graders residing in Richland School District Two may be eligible to earn up to two (2) years of college credits from the University of South Carolina - Sumter. The Richland Two AVID Early College started their cohort of freshmen beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

The AVID Early College is open to students who are willing to become part of the AVID class for all four years of high school. Eligibility will be determined through a number of factors to include eighth grade PSAT score (if taken) or MAP and Lexile scores. The Richland Two AVID Early College was established and is still housed at Ridge View High School. Rising ninth graders can apply now regardless of their attendance zone or magnet school selections.

The Richland Two AVID Early College is offered in partnership with UofSC - Sumter, and students have the potential to graduate high school to start college as a second-semester sophomore or first-semester junior. Completion of the coursework will require strict adhesion to the four-year plan for completion of all courses and will require summer courses in the summer before their Junior and Senior years. Early Bird classes may be required some semesters. Furthermore, students in the Early College may have a difficult time scheduling to take Fine Arts electives (e.g. Chorus, Orchestra, & Band). Students in the Early College will not take any Advanced Placement (AP) classes but will instead take dual-credit courses with UofSC and Richland Two faculty. With the credits from the University of South Carolina, accepted students may transfer to a public state college or university as a junior (depending on your major).

Our goal in offering the AVID Early College is to pave a realistic and more affordable pathway to a four-year college degree for students who may consider college and the expenses associated with college out of their reach. Students in the AVID Early College will take rigorous coursework and will benefit from college and career planning and academic coaching through the AVID class. There is NO cost to district students who attend except for textbooks. Funds to pay UofSC - Sumter are being provided by the SC Lottery system and use of these funds does not take away from a student’s ability to use four years of lottery funding after high school. Using these funds does require that a student in the Early College maintain a 3.0 GPA or future use of lottery funds is forfeited.

Accepted students will attend high school at Ridge View High School. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is a college-readiness system that prepares students for success in high school, college, and careers.

Course Offerings

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