Southern Connecticut State University is leading the way in expanding college access across Connecticut. Its Early College program allows high school students to earn university credits early — saving time, lowering costs, and gaining a head start on college.
Praised by Governor Ned Lamont for expanding opportunity statewide, Southern has emerged as a leader in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system for dual enrollment. Working with more than 100 partner high schools, the program helps students earn up to 30 credits—nearly a full year of college tuition.
“Our goal is to help students see themselves as college ready,” said Trudy Milburn, associate vice president for academic affairs.
After joining Southern in 2020, Milburn built on UConn’s early college model, shaping a version uniquely Southern and expanding its reach to new audiences.
“I focused on not duplicating the great work they’ve done, but talking about how Southern’s curriculum can help high school students to consider courses they might not have known about,” Milburn said.
That approach led to new pathways in fields such as sport management, where students can explore potential majors while earning credits toward a degree.
“Students want Southern credits because it’s a pathway,” Milburn explained. “If they get 30 credits before they arrive, they can come here and get a master’s degree in their fourth year.”
The program has grown from an initial offering of a handful of courses to offering over 70 courses in high schools, with enrollment climbing from hundreds to thousands—one of the CSCU system’s leading access initiatives. Reflecting Southern’s social justice mission, it supports students from lower-income districts by waiving the $65 fee for those on free or reduced lunch and Providing UPass vouchers to bring students to campus by bus.
A $332,000 state grant funds faculty liaisons and training that keep partner-school courses aligned with Southern’s academic standards.
For Taylor Wilmott, the Early College program turned uncertainty into direction. A sophomore at Common Ground High School in New Haven when she began, she’s now a confident freshman at Southern.
After hearing about the program through an email and a teacher’s encouragement, Wilmott decided to try it. “It was suggested as a good opportunity to take classes for free on campus,” she said.
“It was definitely an adjustment,” she said. “The campus is so big; I struggled a bit with that, but my friend and I stuck through it together.”
Her first course, REC 288: Animal Assisted Interventions, opened new doors. “Back then, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be, so I picked a class that sounded interesting,” she said. “Now, I want to be a music therapist; the early program helped me figure that out.”
Wilmott quickly noticed the difference between high school and college learning. “It’s definitely more fast-paced, a heavier workload. It was a difficult adjustment, but I got used to it. I had a lot of support.”
“There’s a lot more freedom, the programs are different, the teaching styles are different,” she added. “In college, teachers don’t always tell you everything about assignments; you have to figure it out.”
That freedom, she said, was transformative. “I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to go to college, and the Early College program helped me make the decision to do it,” she said. “Academically, I know what to expect from classes, and I’m able to keep up with all the work.”
Now with a bank of credits toward a degree, Wilmott encourages other students to take advantage of the opportunity. “It’s a good head start,” she said.
For Kai Krieger, the Early College program helped him catch up and move ahead. Now 18 and a first-year Southern student from East Haven, he began as a junior at Common Ground High School after his guidance counselor encouraged him to apply.
“My initial motivation was to get those credits faster,” he said. That goal quickly changed. “It was confusing finding my classes, but then I found it really enjoyable—I preferred college over high school immediately; there’s more freedom, you’re more independent,” he said.
“In high school it felt like being coddled constantly, but in college, you’re in charge of yourself – it feels like you’re more in charge of what you’re doing.”
Krieger took two classes his first semester, balancing his high school schedule with new college demands. “I figured out how to study, which was significant,” he said. Following his interest in science, Krieger took an introductory oceanography course that helped set his path.
Now majoring in marine coastal science and studies, he hopes to focus on shark research. “The department chair for the major helped me figure out what I liked learning about. I’d like to be a sharkologist,” he said. “I like field work.”
The experience gave him stronger time management and study skills—and a new sense of confidence. “If your school offers it, take it,” he said. “It doesn’t even need to be related to your future major, just a fun class to introduce yourself to college.”
For Milburn, it’s been rewarding to see the program flourish. Each year, Southern hosts orientation sessions for Early College students and families, introducing them to college life and community.
“To see the excitement on their faces, to be on campus—‘early’—they felt it was really gratifying,” she said.
That enthusiasm extends to teachers attending professional development sessions. “They’re so enthusiastic to bring this college class into the high school,” Milburn said, laughing as she recalled running “from one end of the ballroom to the other with the microphone, making sure everyone was heard.”
As enrollment grows, we hope to add staff to oversee operations and strengthen collaboration with Enrollment Management.
“Everyone’s all-in; they love the program,” she said.
More than a bridge between high school and college, Southern’s Early College program launches students who already see themselves as part of the university community.
Milburn calls the enthusiasm contagious—from students to faculty and families.
At Southern, the message is simple: college readiness starts now.
