Students taking Access classes at their high schools | Hagerstown Community College
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Students taking Access classes at their high schools

Students taking Access classes at their high schools

Students taking Access classes at their high schools

We are excited that you will be taking college courses through our Early College Access Program (formerly ESSENCE) at your high school. Please watch the video at the bottom of this page for an overview of this process. Classes offered for college credit at our local high schools provide both high school and college credit. Instructors who teach college courses in the high schools are paid HCC adjunct staff who use HCC’s curriculum and text books.

Washington County Public School (WCPS) students do not pay tuition, fees, or books for Early College Access classes up to 60 credits per student. This applies to all semesters while a student is enrolled at WCPS. All other students receive a 25% tuition discount based on their residency.

The steps to register for a class taken at your high school (students must complete both steps to register for a class):

  1. Apply for admission if this is your first college class with us. You can apply at www.hagerstowncc.edu/admissions/apply-online. HCC will send you an acceptance letter. This letter will contain your student ID number and your login information to our online resources. Keep this letter for future reference. You do not need to wait on the acceptance letter to complete step two.
  2. Registration – all Washington County Public School students will automatically be registered if they have completed the application for admission. Those who do not apply for admission, will not be registered for any classes. 

After applying for admissions and registering for classes

  • You can view your schedule and tuition statement on Self-Service. You can pay your bill online through Self-Service. Instructions on how to pay your tuition including the NelNet Payment plan can be found here. WCPS students do not pay tuition, fees, or books for Early College Access classes.
  • If you register and decide that you do not want to take the class for college credit, you must follow the HCC Registration calendar.
  • The Early College Access Program Supplemental Scholarship is available to students who qualify. Each student must be a Maryland resident, declare a major at HCC, have their social security number on file and complete the FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov. Homeschool students or full-time Access students are not eligible for this scholarship. The scholarship application can be found at www.hagerstowncc.edu/earlycollegeaccess.

Please contact the Financial Aid office if you need assistance with the FAFSA or if you have questions at 240-500-2473. You can access the scholarship link by clicking here.

HCC is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Four-year colleges from across the country will recognize HCC courses in the transfer process because of this accreditation. For more information on transferring from HCC, click here.