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Financial Aid

Financial aid may be awarded in several ways. It may be a scholarship, grant, parent or student loan from a bank or
other agency, or an on-campus work-study program. Some of these methods may provide money that has to be paid back
by a prearranged method. Students interested in financial aid should research the colleges of their choice, discover what is
available, and determine how to apply. Financial Aid Night is held once a year at the high school to help students and
parents understand the financial aid process. It is the student's responsibility to meet deadlines regarding financial aid.
Additional information about financial aid can be found by visiting the college and career web page. Additional
scholarship searches are available in the college career center, in Naviance or through internet search engines, such as
http://www.fastweb.com.

Gaining College Experience

College in High School Program for Courses Taken at Pine-Richland High School
Pine-Richland High School collaborates with local colleges that allow students to earn college credit upon successful
completion of certain specific, upper level, college courses offered at the high school and taught by high school teachers. For
example, students may receive credit from the University of Pittsburgh for successful completion of Business Calculus, AP
Computer Science, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, and AP Physics C - Mechanics. Our College in High School courses are
reviewed every year and may change from year to year. Students are informed at the start of class in the fall if their course
is part of the College in High School Program. Interested students must receive approval from their school counselor. All
students enrolled in an AP course must take the AP exam for the course, regardless of CHS enrollment.

The University of Pittsburgh will be using an online web-based placement system named ALEKS for College in High
School student placement for CHS Business Calculus only. Course placement is based on a single numeric score. The
College in High School Business Calculus students will have to meet the same placement criteria as an on-campus
student. This test is $25 and paid for by the student. Students may retest up to 5 times, but must complete the targeted
ALEKS learning modules before repeating the assessment. The assessment scores are only good for 6 months. Students
must provide a printout to the College in High School Business Calculus teacher. Please note there are additional special fees
attached to enrolling in the College in High School Program. Per Policy 124, college fees are the responsibility of students.

Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate academic institutions. Typically, this refers to
high school students who take courses at local colleges or universities. Dual Enrollment gives high school students the
opportunity to begin their post-secondary transcripts and earn post-secondary credits. There is an application process for
dual enrollment programs through the post-secondary institution and most programs require the approval of the
student's high school. Students who participate in dual enrollment programs do not earn PRHS credit, and the courses
taken do not appear on their PRHS transcript.

Extracurricular Activities

All students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities, whether they are related to school, community, or
church. Often, the experience gained in participating in sports, volunteer work, and clubs represent some of the most
important learning in high school. Employers and colleges are interested in the school activities in which students have
participated. However, it is not the number of activities that is considered important, but those in which the student has
continuously participated over the years and demonstrated dedication and leadership.

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