Over 600 area high school students have earned college credits while they are still in high school. Whether you are a student, parent or guardian, we are delighted you are considering College Now. In these challenging economic times, taking advantage of College Now opportunities close to home makes sense and enrolling at a two-year community college is a smart financial choice.

What is College Now?

Participation in College Now is a great way for students to be challenged in their learning and get a head start on their college education while saving money by taking classes at their local community college. Students preparing to transfer are advised to refer directly to the official catalog of the college or university they plan to attend and meet that institution's requirements and recommendations for a selected area of concentration. Other transfer resources can be found online through iTransfer.

College Now classes for Beardstown High School students are held during both the spring semester of the students' senior year. The classes are held Monday through Thursday from 9-11:50 a.m. Students enroll in four courses and receive 12-13 credit hours. All tuition, fees and textbook costs are the responsibility of the parent or guardian. Check with your high school to see if they are paying a portion of the tuition.

Qualifications

Students accepted for enrollment in college-level classes must have appropriate academic qualifications, a high level of motivation, and adequate time to devote to studying a college-level class. The students must meet all college criteria and follow all college procedures for enrolling in the classes. Ultimately, students must receive approval from their high school counselor to attend LLCC's College Now program. High school counselors usually look for students who will have earned enough credits to graduate, have a good attendance record and no behavioral problems.

Class attendance policy

Students are expected to attend class regularly, and shall notify their instructor(s) when they are unable to attend class. The instructor may establish class attendance as an achievement standard. (Board Policy 4.12)

Because LLCC views student participation as crucial to academic success, a student who has neither participated in a class nor communicated in some other way with the instructor during the first two weeks of class will be administratively withdrawn from such classes for non-attendance. This attendance verification period can be pro-rated for classes meeting over shorter terms. In such cases of administrative withdrawal, students are not entitled to a refund of tuition or fees. Those facing extenuating circumstances may go through the tuition refund appeals process.

It is the student's responsibility to obtain assignments and content missed when a class is not attended. When students are unable to attend class for an extended period, they shall notify the appropriate instructor(s). In cases where it creates an undue hardship on a student to contact all instructors, the director of LLCC-Jacksonville or designee shall contact his/her instructors. 

In case you are going to miss class due to illness, you must report your absence to your high school as well as Lincoln Land Community College. Your LLCC instructor will let you know their preferred method of contact. College Now students are expected to attend all meetings and will not be excused for extracurricular activities. College Now students must follow LLCC's academic calendar.

Grades

Instructors establish their own individual course grading systems, evaluation methods, and course policies. These become official letter grades when reported by the instructor at the end of the semester. Letter grades promote meaningful evaluation of student achievement, inform students of academic progress, and assess student's readiness to advance.

It is important to understand that your grades will be generating an official college transcript which will become part of your permanent college record. Your performance in these classes may impact the following at Lincoln Land Community College: future federal financial aid including loans, admission criteria for special college programs, such as the Honors Program and future scholarships. As part of your permanent record, your performance in these classes may also affect your admission/enrollment and scholarship eligibility at other higher education institutions. Withdrawing from classes can have similar implications at LLCC or other higher education institutions.

Tuition and fees

Tuition and fees are based upon LLCC's rates. Tuition costs are reviewed each fall semester and are subject to change. Convenient payment plans are available.

Class offerings

The following classes are part of the College Now program. Not all courses are offered every semester.

Transfer classes

The following are classes designed to transfer to a college or university after high school graduation are offered. These classes meet Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) guidelines.

• ART 101: Art Appreciation
• CMN 101: Public Speaking
• EGL 112: Introduction to Literature: Drama
• HUM 101: Introduction to Humanities
• PSY 101: General Psychology
• SOC 101: Intro to Sociology

Timeline

1. Contact your high school counselor to let them know of your interest in College Now.
2. Apply to LLCC's College Now program. It's free! (When applying to LLCC, it is important to include the student's email address and cell phone number.)
3. Attend one of our student/parent information meetings.
4. Complete New Student Orientation. Links will be emailed to the student's email address.
5. Meet with your student success advisor in-person or by phone to enroll in classes for the spring semester.
6. Tuition is due via payment in full or via payment plan.
7. Purchase textbooks.

Please ask high school students to contact their guidance counselor for more information.

Students and parents or guardians are welcome to make an appointment for student success advising with Keri Mason. Appointments can be made online or by calling 217-243-6699. Email questions to keri.mason@llcc.edu.

Seats are limited for LLCC-Beardstown's College Now program. If you think you are even possibly interested, please let your high school counselor know. There is no commitment until you register for classes.