Yukon program lets eligible students earn associate degrees while completing high school

YUKON, Okla. — Yukon High School staff told the school board on Tuesday that a program allowing eligible students to earn an associate degree while finishing high school is running through Southwestern (listed in the transcript as "SWASU") and is capped at 30 students per cohort.

Principal Melissa Barrow told the board that the Paths program accepts applications during students’ freshman year and begins concurrent college coursework in sophomore year. “Students at Yukon High School are able to graduate with their high school diploma while also graduating with an associate's degree, through SWASU,” Barrow said.

The program targets first-generation college students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and are demonstrating academic potential, Barrow said. Barrow said the first cohort currently includes 23 juniors and a second cohort includes 26 sophomores. She said the district’s agreement with SWASU covers up to 90 students in three cohorts (30 per cohort) so the program currently operates under that cap.

Barrow described three associate-degree tracks offered to participants: aerospace, computer science and health. Early coursework is largely general education; degree-specific courses intensify in the later junior and senior terms. Barrow said students in the Paths cohort do not pay course fees or book costs because those are covered through the university arrangement and a foundation affiliated with SWASU that subsidizes student fees. Regular concurrent-enrollment students continue to pay standard fees, she said.

Board members asked why current cohorts are below the 30-student cap; Barrow attributed shortfalls to student mobility and to some students not meeting program requirements. She said the 30-student limit reflects the current agreement with SWASU and the funding model that covers fees and devices for participants.

Board members also heard districtwide concurrent-enrollment figures: Barrow said 225 students are currently enrolled in concurrent classes through SWASU, a marked increase from previous years. Courses offered on campus include college algebra, English composition I and II, U.S. history and U.S. government; other offerings used by Paths students include computer information, computer science, environmental health and early world history, Barrow said.

Board discussion centered on program capacity and whether the district intends to expand beyond the 30-per-cohort cap, given the funding limits in the SWASU agreement.

The board did not take any formal vote related to the Paths program during the meeting.