Lowndes County students have a new chance to earn college credit while exploring potential career paths without the burden of tuition or worries about changing their major.

Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller and Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday creating new career pathway programs designed to expose students to potential careers while also earning college credit.

Miller said the partnership gives the university an opportunity to support local students, especially when so many MUW students come from within a one-hour radius of Columbus.

“I think it’s important to be a partner in the community, to offer local students a chance to earn college credit and to realize that they can get a wonderful college experience here at home,” she said.

With the agreement, The W created six pathways, including business, education, nursing and leadership as well as career technical programs in culinary arts in health care. While other dual enrollment and dual credit courses available to LCSD students are charged a partner school rate, tuition for courses within the new pathways are covered by the university.

Tuition for the courses will be covered by the university, though all other dual enrollment and dual credit courses available to LCSD students will be charged a partner school rate.

Superintendent Sam Allison said the partnership opens pathways for students that they may not have had access to previously.

“We’re all about preparing students for what’s next, but as they move on and they get to the secondary level, ‘What’s next?’ needs to be a bigger question,” he said. “For those that have been around the higher education lifestyle, it’s not that big of a deal, but college is a big deal for a lot of people.”

The arrangement also allows for students to explore careers they are interested in without the concern of tuition, Allison said.

“So many of our students, they just automatically think college is not something that they’re able to do. So to be able to do that early on, I think is a big plus for us,” he said. “It could be they get into a pathway and think, ‘This is not what I thought it was.’ But that’s still a success because (they can try something else).”

MUW Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott Tollison said the university has been working with the district since July to develop the new pathways.

“Each of these six pathways play a direct role in meeting Mississippi’s workforce needs, ensuring that students are not only better prepared for college but also for the careers that will drive our region forward,” he said Tuesday during the signing ceremony.

Each pathway requires students to enroll in three courses. Designed to build a foundation of skills and knowledge in students’ chosen career path, Tollison said the programs give them an edge when it comes to earning their degree and starting a career.

“By the time these students graduate high school, they will already have a strong foundation in their chosen field, save significantly on tuition costs and position themselves to be major contributors to the state and local economy,” he said.

Dual enrollment courses begin in fall 2025 at The W. To be eligible, juniors and seniors must have at least a 3.0 GPA and at least a minimum composite score of 16 on the ACT or an equivalent SAT score. Students who are not a junior or senior can be admitted with a 3.0 GPA and a minimum composite score of 30 on the ACT or an equivalent SAT score.

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.

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