Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) offer an Early College program to rising CCPS juniors and seniors. The tuition-free opportunity allows students to earn college credits while completing their high school diploma, giving them the experience of being a college student at CSM’s La Plata campus.  

CCPS and CSM will hold information sessions for prospective students and their parents. All sessions will be held at 6 p.m.

A session is set for Nov. 6 on the La Plata campus of CSM and will be held in person and virtually over Zoom. To register to attend the Nov. 6 event virtually, register at https://csmd.elluciancrmrecruit.com/Apply/Events/EventDetails?eventId=e8bc89fb-2d80-ef11-8acf-0ace305ecd29

A Nov. 19 meeting will be held in the media center at Thomas Stone High School and a Dec. 10 session will take place in the auditorium of Maurice J. McDonough High School. To register to attend the Nov. 19 meeting, click here. To register to attend the Dec. 10 session, click here.

The application for the Early College program opens Dec. 16 and closes Jan. 31. Applications will be reviewed, with students notified of acceptance in the late spring. If more applications are submitted than seats available in the program, students will be selected through a lottery system.

Students in the Early College program will attend classes Monday through Thursday on the college’s La Plata campus. They will have access to CSM’s resources and support services, including accommodations for IEP/504 plans.

Rising seniors — current CCPS juniors — can earn a General Studies transfer certificate, while rising juniors, who are sophomores in the 2024-2025 school year, may pursue degrees or certificates in business administration, medical coding or pharmacy technology.  Business administration courses take place on the La Plata campus, while medical coding and pharmacy technology courses are held in La Plata and at the regional Hughesville campus.

CCPS covers students’ CSM tuition, administrative fees and course materials. The school system also provides students with boxed lunches and transportation from a student’s home high schools to CSM campuses and back.

To learn more, including eligibility criteria, visit the Early College program page of the CSM website.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).