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CV NEWS FEED // The Los Angeles Archdiocese’s Department of Catholic Schools is expanding its Early College Network (ECN) program to further enhance college readiness among high school students.
A report from the Archdiocesan newsletter Angelus shared that the expansion will see the program grow from 11 to 15 participating high schools, with nearly 1,000 students expected to benefit this year, according to Edgar Salmingo Jr., the Department’s director of early college and online learning.
The program, launched in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) and later including Seton Hill University, allows students to earn college credits while still in high school. By providing access to college-level courses in a range of subjects, the ECN aims to improve high school transcripts and reduce future college costs.
As CatholicVote reported previously, the Archdiocese saw the completion of 1,088 courses and the accumulation of 3,251 college credits over the 2023-2024 academic year after implementing the program.
Salmingo shared with Angelus that while some dioceses partner with community colleges to allow high school students to take college-level courses early, the Los Angeles Archdiocese is unique because four-year universities have joined the initiative.
“I’m not aware of any other diocese or archdiocese that has a formal, systemwide program like this,” Salmingo said.
The ECN, supported by grants from the Conrad N. Hilton and Dan Murphy Foundations, is designed to support “low-income, historically ethnically underrepresented, and first-generation prospective college students,” according to the report.
Salmingo told Angelus that last year alone, the program enabled students to save significant amounts on tuition: students who took ECN courses saved over $1 million in potential costs at Cal State universities, more than $1.3 million at UC schools, and nearly $5.6 million at USC.
