City Of Tuscaloosa Expands Program Offering Free College Credits To TCS Students

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The City of Tuscaloosa on Tuesday announced that local high schoolers will now have improved access to free college coursework through a major expansion of the Elevate Dual Enrollment Scholarship.

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Eligible Tuscaloosa City Schools students can take up to nine courses through The University of Alabama’s Early College program at no cost beginning this fall.

The city says this is equivalent to a full year of college, with tuition, fees and textbooks fully covered.

“We are committed to preparing students for life and career success,” TCS Superintendent Mike Daria said. “This expansion removes financial barriers and opens more doors for students to get a head start on college.”

The Elevate Scholarship previously covered one course per semester or up to 12 total credit hours.

With the expansion of the program, students can now take one course per semester throughout their high school eligibility — totaling up to nine courses.

The city also said the expansion was made possible after Patch previously reported that UA reduced its dual enrollment tuition to $33 per credit hour.

“The Elevate Dual Enrollment scholarship expansion is a game changer for the Tuscaloosa community,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said. “Not only is this an investment in our students, it’s an investment in our economy. By relieving financial barriers, we are able to position our future generations for career success. I’m so proud of the way Elevate continues to drive a significant and measurable impact to our community, and I'm thankful for our educational partners who make this important initiative possible.”

TCS says that during the 2024–25 school year, students completed 1,021 dual enrollment courses, earning nearly 2,900 credit hours through partnerships with UA, Shelton State Community College and Stillman College.

Despite the expanded Elevate benefit applying only to UA, TCS students may also continue to take dual enrollment classes at Shelton State during high school, plus earn 12 additional tuition-free credit hours there after graduation.

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