Niles Township High School District 219 has extended an agreement with Loyola University of Chicago that allows students to earn college credit for two Hebrew courses in addition to environmental science.
The District 219 The Board of Education voted unanimously in early October to extend the program, which was expanded from an initial agreement in 2019 to include Hebrew 101 and Hebrew 102, for another year.
All three courses may be taken by juniors or seniors with a GPA of at least 3.0. They get three hours of college credit for each course.
District 219 decided to offer Hebrew because Anna Raiber, who teaches the subject for the district, has also served as a Hebrew language professor at Loyola University, said Christine Gonzales, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for District 219.
“(Raiber) was instrumental in forging this partnership for the course,” Gonzales said. “Dual credit courses such as these give our students an opportunity to earn college credit while in high school.”
During the 2023-24 school year, 14 of the 15 students enrolled in the two corresponding Hebrew courses in District 219 have opted to earn dual credit, she said.
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Students enrolled in Hebrew IV in District 219 earn credit for Hebrew 101 from Loyola, and students enrolled in “Advanced Hebrew Topics” in District 219 earn credit for Hebrew 102 from Loyola, Gonzales said.
District 219 has formed partnerships with different colleges to provide dual credit opportunities for its students, she said. In many cases, District 219 students get discounted tuition rates for those courses, according to Gonzales.
District 219 Board member Amber Wood asked at the Oct. 3 meeting how tuition is paid. “Are supports in place for kids whose families can’t do it if the kids have to pay?” Wood said.
Each college uses a different registration process for students who earn dual credit, Gonzales said.
“For registering students who are unable for whatever reason to pay that tuition, we have grant funds and district funds that allow for students to obtain credit if there are financial hardships,” she said.
Wood asked how that information is communicated to students and their families. “And I would hope (we’re) highlighting the financial advantage of getting credits at a major university for bottom-of-the-barrel pricing, because this can actually wipe out an entire year of paid tuition to a four-year college,” she said.
Gonzales said the district’s counseling department does a “phenomenal job” of informing students.
“Also, (there is) the word of mouth from students themselves informing their peers, but also teachers,” she said.
In many cases, students are already planning to take one of the courses and simply need to register for dual credit, Gonzales said.
“For example, one of the options is environmental science,” she said. “Students are taking environmental science already, but should they choose to enroll in the option of dual credit with Loyola, for $65 times three hours, they can obtain dual credit.”
Board member Joseph Nowik suggested the board consider paying tuition for such courses for students who qualify for free and reduced lunches. District 219 already pays for Advanced Placement exams for such students, Nowik said.
“It’s very worthwhile to do so,” he said. “Have we thought about the possibility that if students are on free and reduced lunches, we think about if they want that dual credit, (we) pay that $65 times three.”