Goshen High expands Ramapo dual-enrollment microeconomics; teacher cites discounted tuition

GOSHEN, N.Y. — Fred Miles, a Goshen High School teacher, updated the Board of Education on a dual-enrollment microeconomics course taught in partnership with Ramapo College, describing rising enrollment and reduced tuition for students taking the college-credit option.

Miles said the course began as a pilot in 2023–24 with about 18 students and has grown to 65 students across three sections this school year. He explained that Ramapo's typical tuition is about $500 per credit, but Goshen students may pay roughly $130 per credit through the partnership. "They get the 4 credits for about $530 as opposed to spending $2,000 for this course," Miles said.

The course covers foundational economic principles — cost-benefit analysis, opportunity cost, marginal thinking and interdependence — and aims to help students apply economics to daily life. Miles noted field trips and exposure to college-level expectations as program benefits; he said three former students have since attended Ramapo College and referenced a Ramapo "border scholarship" that provides discounted tuition for Orange County students.

A former student who took the course described it as "one of the best experiences" of high school and said the credits were useful in college. Board members responded positively and noted the program as a model for leveraging college partnerships to provide college credit and academic rigor for high school students.

No board action on program funding or tuition was taken during the meeting; Miles said the program continues as a partnership offering both high school and optional college credit.