Pitbull-backed school sees 20 seniors earn associate degrees before diplomas

For 20 students at SLAM North, graduation day comes with an unusual head start. Before collecting their high school diplomas, they have already completed the equivalent of two years of college. The achievement is the result of an ambitious dual-enrollment programme that has allowed these students to earn Associate in Arts degrees from Doral College while still navigating their final years of high school, states the SLAM Foundation report.Two degrees, one graduationOf SLAM North’s 56 graduating seniors, 20 completed 60 college credits each and earned associate degrees before finishing high school. Together, they accumulated 1,200 college credits, a milestone that translates into an estimated $312,000 in tuition savings for their families, based on an estimated cost of $260 per credit, states the foundation release.Beyond the financial benefit, the programme gives students something perhaps even more valuable: time.