Advanced Opportunities
What is Advanced Opportunities?
Advanced Opportunities provides every 7th- 12th grade student, attending an Idaho public school, an allocation of $4,625.00 to use towards…..
What can this funding be used for?
These funds can be used for many different programs including:
Dual Credits:
Students who take Dual Credit courses receive both high school and college credits for the same class. These courses can be taken with a dual credit instructor at the high school, online, or in some cases, students may go to the college/university campus. This includes Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses. Advanced Opportunities can pay up to $75 per credit. Funding for these types of credits only apply to Idaho Colleges.
* If a student fails to earn credit or successfully completes a course for which Advanced Opportunity has paid, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit before the Program may pay any further course reimbursements for the student.
Exams:
Students can pay for a variety of college-credit or career-technical exams. These include Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (IB), Career & Technical Education (CTE), and more. College entrance exams and proctoring fees are now an allowable expense from Advanced Opportunities.
Overload Courses:
An overload course is a high school level course that is taken in addition to a regular school day. This is above and beyond the full course load. These may be offered online, during the summertime, or before/after school. If there’s a cost, the Advanced Opportunities program can pay up to $225 for the cost of the course. Overload courses must be above and beyond 12 credits in a school year (6 credits per semester).
Workforce Training Courses:
Students can utilize Advanced Opportunities funds to pay for approved regional workforce training courses in Idaho. Up to $500 per course or $1000 a year can be utilized for these courses. You can find an approved list here.
*There is no funding cap on workforce training courses
Early Graduation:
Early graduation scholarships are available to students who graduate from high school at least one year early. Eligible students are awarded (approximately) $1,800 for every year skipped. *Funds can only be used at one of Idaho’s public post-secondary institutions.
How to get started:
1. Meet with a school counselor or college career advisor to learn more about individual career development and academic planning.
2. Create your career pathway plan. Let’s create a plan to lay out the best path to gain the most advantage of Advanced Opportunities! This plan will include high school courses needed for graduation and include classes like dual credit or advanced course work. With careful planning this will help to ensure your credits earned will apply towards the intended certificate or degree.
3. Create an Advanced Opportunities account. Creating this account, you can track where your funds are, request payments for classes and exams, and view payment status’s. Students can meet with their counselor to learn more about the application process. *Accounts must be activated by the student’s school before funds are allocated.
You can create your account here.