College Readiness

Heritage Academy is the perfect place to not just prepare for college, but to start taking college courses.  Heritage provides seminars and college coaching customized to the needs of every scholar and parent.  These college readiness services enable the college-bound scholar to qualify for the top scholarships and institutions in the nation.

College Fast Track Program

The College Fast Track Program enables scholars to earn college credits while at Heritage Academy. College credits can be earned in two ways:

  1. Dual Enrollment courses
  2. Concurrent online courses

Dual Enrollment courses are regular Heritage classes where a student can opt to earn college credit for the class. These classes are offered through Rio Salado College and University of Arizona.

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding our College Fast Track Program.

What is the process to take Dual Enrollment classes?

  • Contact your College Advisor, Maria Radostits, to schedule an appointment to discuss Heritage’s Dual Enrollment program.

What would it mean for your student to work on college credits while in high school?

  • Here are a few of the benefits:
    • Can reduce Bachelor degree program by 18-24 months
    • Saves time
    • Saves money
    • Eliminates duplicate coursework in first years of college
    • Scholars complete general education course requirements for all in-state and most out-of-state public colleges
    • Heritage pays for textbooks and lab fees for all dual courses.
  • Even if a full Associate degree is not completed, having any amount of coursework completed while in high school will benefit any person.

Can my scholar earn an Associate degree while at Heritage?

  • This is a very aggressive goal that requires a highly motivated scholar to earn approximately 60 college credits in four years. Planning must start during 8th grade. Heritage Academy has staff dedicated to working with each scholar on a 4-year plan and they will review the individualized plan with each incoming freshman prior to starting high school.

How much does dual enrollment cost?

  • Currently, Maricopa County Community College District charges $85 per credit and a $15 registration fee per semester.
  • University of Arizona charges a discounted rate of $177 for their courses. (subject to change).

Scholar Testimonial:

“I graduated from Heritage Academy with my AA and AGS degrees.  As a result, I am able to not only complete my Bachelor’s degree, but my Master’s degree in Sports Journalism in four years from Arizona State University (ASU).  In addition, I earned Merit scholarships that cover 4 years of tuition at ASU and since I commute I will graduate with my Master’s degree with zero debt.  The Dual Enrollment program at Heritage has really helped me in my college career.  I’m super grateful for this program and it has really put me a step in the right direction.”  -Philip Leavell, Class of 2020

Scholarships

Maricopa Community Colleges

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer many scholarships.(For more information, CLICK HERE)

  • For the Presidential Scholarship, you must have a 3.25 GPA or higher, must live within Maricopa County and have graduated from a high school that is located within Maricopa County.

Colleges and Universities

Most Colleges and Universities offer scholarships and if you spend time investigating the scholarship opportunities at the college of your choice, you may find one that fits you perfectly.  Here are some links to some of the scholarships available at the three largest Universities in Arizona:

Financial Aid

All scholars are encouraged to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA opens October 1st of each year and scholars who qualify can earn free money or grants to go to college. In addition, many colleges offer a scholarship portal for students who have been offered acceptance.  The scholarship portal is not available to scholars until the FAFSA application has been completed.  Click the link below to apply.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Going Merry FAFSA Made Easy Application

When it comes to paying for your college education, #1 most important thing you can do is fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), the Department of Education’s application form to get federal financial aid awards. But we know that the government FAFSA® form can be confusing, especially for first-time college students.

So we’ve created a better, more user-friendly version: the FAFSA® Made Easier. It’s got simplified questions, better (and more!) help text to guide you, and the ability to skip forward and back (so you can fill out the form in the order that makes most sense for you).

But why is it important to fill out the FAFSA® anyway? Well, on average, eligible students receive $15,000 of student aid per academic year after completing the FAFSA– that can be $60,000 for four-year undergraduate students. This financial aid is usually a combination of “free money” (different types of scholarships and grants), money you work for (work-study), and (lower-interest) student loans to help offset the cost of attendance.

CLICK HERE FOR  TO SIGN UP FOR FREE

Going Merry Scholarship Search Engine

We are a free scholarship search and application platform that offers:

More local scholarships
Less competitive, easier to win.
Auto-filled forms
Never type the same thing twice.
Bundled scholarships
Apply for multiple scholarships at once.
Multi-platform
Mobile app or Desktop, we’ve got you covered

Heritage Academy Scholarships

Heritage Academy has its own Scholarship Fund containing the donations of parents and others who would like to help further the education of scholars who have shown outstanding abilities in academics and service. Only those scholars who have completed all graduation requirements by the time of actual graduation will be eligible for scholarships awarded by Heritage Academy.

Heritage Academy will present scholarship awards, to the extent of the funds, in conjunction with the high achievement and service to the school as outlined above under the following categories:

George Washington Award for Achievement, Character and Service – Scholar is voted by faculty (must be at least two years at Heritage academy)

Abraham Lincoln Award – to the outstanding male scholar voted by faculty (must be at least two years at Heritage Academy)

Dolly Madison Award – to the outstanding female scholar voted by faculty (must be at least two years at Heritage Academy)

Benjamin Franklin Award – given to scholar(s) exhibiting extraordinary persistence (must be at least two years at Heritage Academy)

Valedictorian (must be at least two years at Heritage Academy) – 4.0 and higher GPA

Salutatorian (must be at least two years at Heritage Academy) – 3.5 – 3.99 GPA

The school offers two Heritage Academy Presidential Freedom Scholarships in the amount of $1000 for qualifying students who can show at least 100 hours of community service during the past year. See your principal for application procedures.

Heritage Academy presents approximately $8,000 in scholarships each year to graduating students based on GPA.


Graduation Requirements

A scholar receives a graduation diploma from Heritage Academy when requirements of the school and of the Arizona State Board of Education have been met.

Subjects Credits
English 4
Math 4
Science 4
History 3
Foreign Language 2
Fine Arts 1
Physical Education 1
Electives 7
Total Credits 26

Academic courses listed above receive one full credit and electives one-half credit. See the student handbook for more detail.

Other

In-State College Entrance Requirements

Nearly anyone may apply and gain admission to the 2-year Community Colleges.

Information on admission applications, financial aid, scholarships, etc., can be found through www.maricopa.edu

Scholars planning to attend four-year colleges or universities should determine the entrance requirements of the particular school they wish to attend. Students applying to Arizona universities must meet one of the following requirements:

4-year state universities in Arizona– Require new freshmen students to have met the following competency requirements:

  1. Four years of high school English
  2. Four years of high school math; one year each of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and an advanced math class
  3. Three years of high school laboratory science
  4. Two units of the same high school foreign language.
  5. Other requirements and/or exceptions should be studied at: www.students.asu.edu/admission/competencies

Nearly all 4-year universities require ACT or SAT scores. (Due to Covid, ACT and SAT scores are not being required for college admissions and Merit scholarship consideration at this time.)

Check each schools website for requirements. It is recommended that students take the ACT and/or SAT exams in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year.  Registration should be made at least 6 weeks prior to test date. Check websites for dates and registration.

Planning for college? Looking for financial aid? Use the links below to learn more.

Big Future/ College Board

BigFuture.com is a helpful resource for all your college planning.  Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education.

College Source

A virtual library representing 152,187 college catalogs in full cover-to-cover, original page format with 2-year, 4-year, graduate, professional and international schools.

Campus Program

A comprehensive education and employment guide to American universities and colleges in the United States. CampusProgram.com provides profiles of 1000’s of universities and colleges across the United States. Our main feature is our browsable database of nearly 100,000 university and college programs; diplomas, certificates and advanced degrees; categories by over 500 unique areas of study.