High school students around the region are searching for ways to save money and make quick progress on their education, setting themselves up for a successful career. When students make plans for their future, they can look into dual credit and KC Now at Kaskaskia College. Dual credit and the KC Now program lead to huge financial savings and allow students to start their higher education before leaving high school.
KC Dual Credit & Career Pathways Coordinator Kelsey Tate said dual credit is a way for students to take college classes from their high school teachers within their high school building. Breese Central, Carlyle, Christ Our Rock Lutheran, Mater Dei and Wesclin all offer some form of dual credit. General education classes like math, science and English are the most common.
“It’s unique because the high school teachers are qualified to teach college-level courses, and the students can carry that credit with them to Kaskaskia College, all from within the walls of their own high school,” Tate said. “I love seeing students take advantage of dual credit and jump-starting their education. It helps get their core classes out of the way and speeds up their time spent in college. The tuition for dual credit courses is waived, meaning students won’t have out-of-pocket expenses. This saves them a substantial amount of money in the long run.”
For students who don’t plan on getting a four-year degree, dual credit can still be extremely beneficial. KC offers plenty of Career and Technical Education classes through the dual credit system, including welding, drafting and construction, and many other vocational trades. Students mapping out their future can visit the Career Pathways tool at kc.collegepathways.app.
A slightly different version of dual enrollment is called KC Now. KC Now is a dual enrollment program where high school students take classes on Kaskaskia College’s campus in Centralia, with some courses offered at other KC locations, too. Although these students are still in high school, in the KC Now program, they’re effectively college students, meaning they are in normal college classes on campus with college students and college professors, with nothing differentiating the students while in class. Currently, all five Clinton County high schools have students in KC Now. The KC Now program offers significantly reduced tuition, still providing students with crucial savings on their education.
KC Dean of Workforce Engagement and Industrial Career Service Joy Fitts said many Clinton County students go through the electrical program at the Trenton Education Center.
“The KC Now Residential and Commercial Electricity Program at the Trenton Education Center provides a great opportunity for high school students interested in pursuing a career as an electrician,” Fitts said. “The program prepares students around Clinton County and beyond with hands-on training needed to meet the growing demand for qualified electricians across Southern Illinois.”
For the first time in 2026, students who completed their CNA in the fall of 2025 could apply for the nursing program, and those who qualified after entrance exams applied to start the KC nursing program in March of their senior year of high school through the KC Now program. The inaugural 2026 class just wrapped up their first few months in the nursing program. Dean of Health Sciences Lisa Ring said the first group is off to a very successful start.
“These students completed their CNA course early this spring and then transitioned directly into the first course of Kaskaskia College’s Associate Degree Nursing program in March, while simultaneously navigating the final months of their senior year,” Ring said. “They successfully balanced the demands of high school and college-level nursing coursework while demonstrating the dedication and resilience that will serve throughout their nursing careers.”
The vast majority of dual credit students are juniors and seniors, but Tate said it is important to start planning for the future ahead of time, even as soon as eighth grade. Find out more about dual enrollment programs at Kaskaskia College at kaskaskia.edu/academics/college-for-high-school-students.
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