Program Information and Admittance
At minimum, Early Entry students must be:
- 16+ years old and an academically advanced Junior or Senior in good standing
- Currently enrolled in an Oregon public, private, and accredited charter high school
- Have an outstanding academic record that demonstrates prior success in college-level coursework (such as Advanced Southern Credit, AP, and/or Honors courses)
- Have time in their schedule to attend in-person classes on SOU campus while still fulfilling their high school attendance requirements and progressing toward on-time high school graduation.
Students wishing to be considered for the program should contact their high school counselor expressing interest, detailing academic goals, and sharing why they believe they would be successful in a college environment. Counselors will review attendance and academic records, interview students and confirm that they are academically prepared to handle the rigor of college coursework and socially and emotionally ready to independently navigate a college environment. If the student meets all the criteria, and the counselor agrees the Early Entry program would be beneficial to the student's academic goals, they will then write a reccomendation letter to Miranda Stiles and commit to working with the student to discuss and approve their class choices for the duration of their time in the program.
The Early Entry program is design to supplement, not supplant, a high school education for academically advanced students. EE students are seldom approved to take courses that are already being offered in their high school. This is especially true if their high school is already aligned to offer these courses for SOU's Advanced Southern Credit.
For more information about the Early Entry program, please reach out to Miranda Stiles to discuss eligibility.
Registration
Once admitted to the program, EE students register for classes through a specific Pre-College Programs portal (not the greater SOU registration system). All university processes for EE students flow through the Pre-College Programs office. EE students are usually limited to 100 and 200 level courses for which they have met all the college-level prerequisite requirements. Class selections are pre-approved by their high school counselors and by the Youth Programs staff prior to registration. The registration link is provided to students once their class selections have been approved.
Tuition and Billing
The EE tuition rate is 50% of the SOU current tuition rate for fully enrolled students. For the 2023-24 school year, that is set at $107.50 per credit. Early Entry Students are responsible for additional course fees, required textbooks and materials, and their own transportation and parking. Unless a student's high school has agreed to pay their tuition, the student and their family will be billed for the tuition and fees for the class.
Depending on the billing cycle and the time of your registration, bills may be due at the time of registration. All students, regardless of when they register, are responsible for paying their tuition by the first Friday of each term. Late fees, revolving charge fee, and interest will be assessed on any account balances existing after the deadline. Likewise, Early Entry students are also subject to the refund schedule.These dates can be viewed on SOU's academic calendar. All university processes for EE students flow through the Pre-College Programs office. EE students, parents, and high school counselors should contact our office with any questions, concerns, or requests.
Stay in Touch!
For questions or to learn more, contact Miranda Stiles at stilesm1@sou.edu or 541.552.6611.