About College Now

History of Concurrent Enrollment at SMSU

Southwest Minnesota State University partners with over 100 school districts and over 5,000 students in the College Now Program.  We have been offering concurrent enrollment courses since 1984, making us the longest running concurrent enrollment program in Minnesota. The SMSU College Now Program is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).  NACEP accreditation represents a significant transformation for the program both in policy and function. Due to the rigorous accreditation process, we have enhanced the integrity of our program, increased our staffing, and improved our offerings to better serve our partnering schools.

What is College Now?

College Now is SMSU's concurrent enrollment program. Concurrent enrollment (also called "dual credit" or "dual enrollment") allows qualified high school students to earn college credit in their high school, during their regular school day. College Now classes are taught by qualified high school teachers and supervised by SMSU faculty members. 

College Now classes are actual SMSU courses where students earn actual SMSU credit. There is no cost to the student for these courses, providing an outstanding opportunity for students to earn college credit and jump start their college careers without incurring additional debt.

Benefits of Participating in College Now

The advantages to taking College Now courses are numerous:

• It allows students to earn college and high school credit simultaneously
• It’s an alternative to the senior doldrums
• It’s a great transition and introduction to university study
• It allows for more flexible scheduling upon enrollment at the university
• It allows earlier completion of general education requirements
• Its a demonstration of a commitment to university admissions officials
• It may lead to early completion of a degree program
• Unlike AP, it concludes with a college grade on a college transcript; AP courses are high school courses that teach to a "one shot" test and may not even count toward general education requirements 

Jessica Mensink
Director of Concurrent Enrollment, College Now
Southwest Minnesota State University
(507) 537-6390 (office)
(507) 537-6472 (fax)
Jessica.Mensink@SMSU.edu