Degree Acceleration
Florida SouthWestern State College provides multiple pathways for qualified secondary school students to enroll in college courses while still enrolled in secondary school, either through the public, charter, private, or home school system. High school students have the opportunity to receive both high school and college credit simultaneously, accelerating a student’s degree program through Dual Enrollment, Early Admissions, or FSW’s Collegiate High School Students elect they are degree seeking as an Associate Degree or Vocational Certificate, and are able to take corresponding courses that are approved by the Accelerated Pathways Articulation Agreement. Courses not included are college preparatory, Applied Music, and health and wellness courses. Accelerated Pathways students will work with their high school counselors or designee and the FSW advising to ensure both high school and college requirements are being met. Accelerated Pathways students have access to the College’s academic support centers, Honors program, clubs, and activities.
To qualify for Accelerated Pathways programs, all candidates must demonstrate readiness for college-level work. Readiness for college-level work is determined through achievement of the state minimum cutoff scores on the appropriate sections of the PERT, ACT, SAT or AccuPlacer scores and meet the minimum high school GPA requirement, as outlined in the Accelerated Pathways Articulation Agreements. Required test scores and grade points averages are found at www.fsw.edu/dualenrollment.
Accelerated Pathways students must complete the “Dual Enrollment/Early Admissions Students Application” at www.fsw.edu/apply. In addition, the student will submit a completed “Accelerated Pathways High School Registration Approval Form” listing the courses that they are approved to register for each term. This form must be signed by the high school principal or designee and the applicant. Eligible students are able to enroll in classes on a Florida SouthWestern State College campus, FSW online, or on their high school campus. Some FSW courses require a high school transcript or accelerated test scores (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge AICE) to meet the prerequisite requirement. Home school students must present annually a FSW Accelerated Pathways Home Education Articulation Agreement and a Home Education Verification Affidavit from the county school district in order to register for courses.
Accelerated Pathways students have differing policies from traditional first-time in college students, such as; course selection, withdrawing from courses, and retaking courses. In all processes, school approval must be granted and the corresponding documentation is required. Refer to your school district’s Accelerated Pathways Articulation Agreement for more information on these specific processes.
Accelerated Pathways students must maintain the required high school grade point average and a Florida SouthWestern State College term GPA of 2.0 to remain eligible. Students who fall below a 2.0 will be on Academic Probation for one semester, and can be removed from the program.
Accelerated Pathways students are exempt from application, matriculation and tuition fees. Textbooks and instructional materials for public school students are provided by the school district. Students enrolled in home education will have required textbooks provided by the College. Non-public students must pay for their textbooks and instructional materials.
Specialized and/or limited-access programs and courses may include costs outside of the Accelerated Pathways Program that are the responsibility of the student. Please refer to the Accelerated Learning Articulation Agreement for more information.
Students who take FSW courses, whether the College’s campuses, online, or concurrently, fall under FSW college policies and Student Code of Conduct. Accelerated students are protected under Federal law that protects the privacy of student education record under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Accelerated Learning students who have an IEP or 504 must complete the self- identification process through the process through the College’s Adaptive Services to receive accommodations pursuant to Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Dual Enrollment
Dual enrollment is a part-time college program where student may elect to take college courses on a part-time basis. Students continue to maintain some high school courses in addition to their FSW college coursework. Students may elect to take courses on their high school campus (concurrent), on-campus, or online.
Early Admissions
Early Admission is a full-time college program, available to juniors and seniors, where qualified students enroll in 12-18 credit hours. Early Admission students will not have any high school courses, but may still participate in high school activities at their perspective high school.
Collegiate High School
Florida SouthWestern State College offers two collegiate high schools on our Charlotte and Lee Campuses. Servicing approximately 400 students from grades 9th-12th grade. Students complete an honors 9th and 10th grade curriculum with a unique focus on college-readiness to prepare students for the rigors of a college environment. Students in FSW’s Collegiate High Schools enroll full-time into FSW college courses their 11th and 12th grade year with possible completion of the Associates of Arts degree.
Credit by Examination
FSW accepts credit by examination for the following programs based on the determinations made by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee (http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/5421/urlt/0078391-acc-cbe.pdf).
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Exams
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
- Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- UExcel (Excelsior College) Examination Program
Note: Students may not receive credit by examination for any course in which they have already earned college-level credit.
Local Articulation Agreements and Industry Certifications
FSW has established and continues to maintain several Articulation Agreements with local technical colleges and local school districts. Similarly, FSW may award credit for earned industry certifications. Students should discuss with their Academic Advisors how to submit a request for articulated credit.
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