Concurrent Enrollment
Western’s Concurrent Enrollment (CE) program gives high school students the opportunity to start their college careers early by taking college courses while still in high school. In addition to helping students complete their degrees in a shorter amount of time, taking CE courses with Western also helps students and families to reduce the cost of a college degree. CE tuition is paid by the high school, which means that CE courses are free to students and families. High school students can enroll in CE courses on Western’s campus or at the local high school.
Courses at Western
- Available to 9th – 12th grade students who are under 21 years of age.
- Students must apply for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend. COF pays $40/credit.
- On-campus courses are offered at the reduced tuition rate of $100/credit (after COF has been applied).
- Students must meet course requirements and prerequisites for each course.
- Students should meet with their high school counselor to determine eligibility and to select courses from Western’s course offerings.
At High Schools
- Available to 9th – 12th grade students at participating high schools.
- Students must apply for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend. COF pays $40/credit.
- Tuition for most of our college-level courses is free (after COF has been applied). Tuition for remedial courses (English 099, Math 098 & 099) is $50/credit. COF does not apply to remedial courses.
- Courses are taught by high school teachers approved as Western adjunct faculty.
- Students who successfully complete a CE course receive both high school and college credit.
- Students should meet with their high school counselor to determine eligibility for CE courses offered at their high school.
All Concurrent Enrollment Students
They’ll help you:
- Determine your eligibility for taking a specific course.
- Schedule an Accuplacer if needed to meet course prerequisites.
- Better understand the application and registration process, including what forms are required by your school.
If you’re homeschooled, Chrissie Nehrenberg will serve as your Western contact and advisor for the registration process. Please email cnehrenberg@western.edu if you have questions.
- The COF stipend pays $40 per credit for your tuition any time you take a college course!
- You only need to apply for your COF stipend once. If you completed this process in a prior semester, don’t repeat the process.
- Go to the COF website.
- Click “Apply Now” and complete the online application. You can either use your Social Security Number or you can request a C# from the COF system. Please keep track of the number you use – you will need it for our CE application.
- If you don’t correctly complete the COF application, you will be billed $40 per credit for each course you take this semester. If you have any trouble, ask your counselor for help or contact Chrissie Nehrenberg, cnehrenberg@western.edu.
All students must complete an online application once each academic year.
The application link is here: Western CE Application
The application requires the following:
- Name (as stated on your school records)
- Date of birth
- Full address
- Phone number(s)
- Email address (your school email is recommended)
- Social Security Number or C# (from your COF application)
- State Assigned Student Identifier (SASID)
- High School name
- Application term (for example, Spring 2022)
- Emergency contact information
- Gender, race and ethnicity
Once you are finished, be sure to click the Application is Complete button. You will then receive a confirmation email that your application has been received!
If you are an on-campus student, work with your school counselor to register for your course. She or he will guide you through the steps you need to take.
If you are taking a Western CE course at your high school, your teacher or your counselor will work with Western to complete your registration.
Once you have been registered for your course, you will receive a confirmation email at the address you provided on your application. This registration confirmation email will contain your Western ID and give you instructions for setting up your MyWestern account and password. You must set up this account in order to log in to an online course in Canvas (our Learning Management System), to check email and to request a transcript (among other things!).
Your Western email address is the university’s official method of communication with you as a new Western student. Contact Chrissie Nehrenberg or IT Services at 970.943.3333 for help with these steps.
Go to western.edu –> Current Students –> MyWestern –> enter login info –> Student & Financial Aid –> Registration.
Western has over 50 high school adjunct faculty teaching Concurrent Enrollment courses all over the state. This program would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our high school teachers.
We currently offer Concurrent Enrollment courses in English, History, Spanish, Geology, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Art, Math, Biology, Physics and Music.
If you’re interested in teaching a Concurrent Enrollment course, you must currently meet the minimum qualifications for adjunct faculty as determined by the Higher Learning Commission (the HLC). For most courses, that means you must:
- Have a master’s degree or higher in the discipline.
OR
- Have a master’s degree or higher in a discipline other than that in which you teach, PLUS 18 graduate credits in the discipline in which you teach.
If you don’t meet these qualifications, we can still consider taking you on board if you’re committed to a professional development plan for earning the required credits by September 2022.
If you’re interested in teaching with us, please take the following steps:
- Contact Chrissie Nehrenberg to express your interest and discuss your qualifications: cnehrenberg@western.edu or 970.943.2034
- Complete our Concurrent Enrollment online teacher application. You’ll need to include undergraduate and graduate transcripts in this application process.
- If you’re approved and your school decides to offer the new Western CE course, the next step is to attend a training with your new Western faculty mentor. There’s an intensive training period before and during the first semester in which you offer your CE course, and you will earn three 500-level graduate credits in Education for successfully completing this training.
NOTE: Students applying to the Concurrent Enrollment program must do so through this link. DO NOT use the “Apply Now” link under “Take the Next Step” to enroll (this link is for students who wish to enroll at Western as an undergraduate student).
Take the Next Step
Apply to Western
We understand that applying to a university can be daunting, which is why we make our admission process as simple and straightforward as possible. Learn more about applying to your program of choice at Western.
Visit Western
The best way to find out what makes Western such a special place is to experience it for yourself. Our student-led tours give you an insider’s perspective on everything from academics to student life.
Alumni Community
We keep the Mountaineer spirit going strong within our alumni community. Whether getting together with friends at an annual event, making a donation or mentoring a student, graduates continue to play an important role in the Western community.
Request Information
Want to discover more about Western? Request information today to get in touch with the admissions team.