AB Tech Career & College Promise

The AB Tech Career & College Promise dual-enrollment program is an opportunity for qualified Asheville High students to take tuition-free college classes, many of which transfer seamlessly to public and private universities in North Carolina. Participating students earn both high school and college credit.  Although all classes are tuition-free, the program does have some expenses, including textbooks and supplies.

Admissions criteria for the Career & College Promise program is different for Asheville High students and SILSA students. This is because SILSA has been designated as a Cooperative Innovative School by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Because of this state designation, SILSA students are able to access some courses for which Asheville High students are not eligible. The minimum entrance standards and general enrollment criteria include:

For Asheville High School Students:

    - College Transfer Pathways (courses transfer to UNC System and dozens of NC private colleges)

• Junior or Senior status
• Cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.8 or better
• Demonstration of college readiness on an assessment or placement test (PSAT, SAT, ACT, PLAN, or Accuplacer)
• Completion of all AB Tech mandated pre-requisites for any requested course.
• Completion of all required paperwork at both the college and high school sites.

   - Career-Technical Pathways (courses that can be applied to career-technical college degrees)

• Junior or Senior status
• Cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.8 or better
• Completion of all AB Tech mandated pre-requisites for any requested course.
• Completion of all required paperwork at both the college and high school sites.

For SILSA Students:

    - BOTH College Transfer AND Career-Technical Classes

• Completion of all A-B Tech mandated pre-requisites for any requested course.
• Completion of all required paperwork at both the college and high school sites.

High school AND college credit is awarded upon successful completion of AB Tech courses.  

AB Tech courses use college textbooks, course syllabi, and grading policies, and are taught with the same rigor as those taught to college students.  Asheville High students are reminded that all AB Tech classes are included on a student’s college transcript, which follows the student through his or her post-secondary years, regardless of educational goals.