How the CCA Works
- Students in grades 11 or 12 who have been identified by their teachers or guidance counselors will register for two classes each semester. They will listen to lectures delivered over the internet to classrooms on your high school campus by regular faculty members of the University of Massachusetts.
- Additional hours will be spent with high school teachers to complete labs, work on projects in groups, complete assignments, and study problem sets. High school instructors will play other important roles including tutoring, advising and personal support.
- High school teachers will communicate constantly with the UMass faculty member who is leading the class to make sure both parties understand how students are learning and what could be improved as the semester goes on.
- During the school year, CCA students will be invited to attend special events on their partner UMass campus to introduce them to the in-person college experience. This will include sports competitions and special days of organized programs (cookouts, meet-and-greets with UMass students and guidance counselors, etc.).
- Students will have a chance to live on campus for summer sessions beginning in 2023. CCA students will take courses during the academic year from the partner UMass campus but will be free to take summer courses from any UMass campus.
- CCA students may earn up to 24+ school-year credits and another 12-18 credits during the summer sessions between grade 11 and 12 and a summer session after high school graduation. Students will enroll in up to two classes per semester/term.
- School-year courses will be just for high school students but might combine students in more than one high school in your region.
- High school guidance counselors will be able to answer questions about the program to help you decide if you are interested. They will work with teachers to identify students who would enjoy and benefit from CCA. UMass admissions officers will assist them in identifying people who might find this program appealing.
- While the pilot is designed to enroll students in grades 11 and 12, in subsequent years a pre-college course for students in grades 9 or 10, offered by high school instructors will be offered to prepare younger students for the early college experience, including selecting classes that will help to prepare for a college curriculum.
Note: While the pilot is designed to enroll students in grades 11 and 12, in subsequent years a pre-college course for students in grades 9 or 10, offered by high school instructors will be offered to prepare younger students for the early college experience, including selecting classes that will help to prepare for a college curriculum.
College and Career Exploration and Preparation
CCA is designed to help students understand the relationship between the academic pathway they choose and the careers that these courses prepare them for. Students will learn about exciting professional pathways and explore how they can use their collegiate and pre-collegiate career to prepare for them. There are many opportunities in the Commonwealth for you to consider. Here are some that we will focus on:
- Art & Design
- Biotechnology
- Business and Finance
- Computer Science/Information Technology
- Environment Science & Sustainability
- Education
- Engineering
- Human Services
- Wellness and Public Health
Get more information on college and career planning for students and families from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Early College in Massachusetts
All students benefit from access to Early College programs and everyone in a designated Early College high school is welcome to participate. The program is especially interested in making sure that special attention is focused on students who are traditionally under-represented in four-year colleges. Early College programs are designed to give everyone the skills and knowledge to be successful in the transition to college, but they are especially helpful for students whose parents did not attend college.
Early college programs in Massachusetts have shown great promise for increasing equity in higher education and are grounded in five core principles:
- Equitable access
- Guided academic pathways
- Enhanced student support
- Connection to career
- Effective partnerships
According to the 2022 Early College Fact Sheet from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education:
- There are 31 designated partnerships inclusive of 42 high schools and 22 higher education partners serving about 4,500 students.
- 50% of all public high schools in Gateway cities have Early College programs.
- 60% of MA Early College students identified as Black (22%) or Latinx (38%).
- Over half (57%) of all Early College Students across the Commonwealth are from economically disadvantaged/low-income backgrounds.
In the 2019-20 academic year, Massachusetts early college high school students had a significantly higher rate of FAFSA completion, college enrollment within six months of high school graduation, and second year persistence rate compared to their high school peers that elected not to enroll.
In the future, the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy of the University of Massachusetts hopes to provide this opportunity to students all over the state. For now, we are eager to invite you to consider our pilot programs on the South Coast and the Lowell region.