High school students can earn free college courses through Explore@RC

High school students in grades 10-12 can earn up to 12 free college courses through Roanoke College’s new dual enrollment lab school.

Explore@RC students will immerse themselves in the college experience by taking classes on Roanoke College’s beautiful campus — while still enjoying organizations, clubs and activities at their high school. With a strong emphasis on hands-on learning, the program will equip students with the critical thinking and practical skills necessary for success in their chosen fields.

There is NO COST to students or their families. As a state-supported lab school, Explore@RC is open to all students in the commonwealth of Virginia.  

Benefits to students include: 

• Free tuition and fees
• Free textbooks and materials
• Tutoring, peer mentorship and student success coaches  
• Free campus activities
• Significant time and cost savings
• Free transportation for Salem City students in 2024-25, with the possibility of expanding to other districts the following year.

How it works:

• Students spend half of the day on the Roanoke College campus taking courses with Roanoke professors.
• Students return to their home school division for the last half of the day.

Explore@RC offers many courses to prepare students for in-demand careers. Career pathway courses offered this academic year are:

STEM/Health Care:                                

INQ 250CH: Chemistry and Crime 
BIOL 110: Exploring Biology 
PHST 201: Introduction to Public Health 
INQ 251: How to Build a Dinosaur

Education/Global Studies:

CLST 241: Math Methods (Education) 
EDUC 210: Principles of Education 
ENST 105: Environment & Society

Communications/Civic Engagement:

COMM 101: Introduction to Communications 
EDUC 210: Principles of Education

Additional courses will be added next year.  

Students and families are invited to learn more at an Explore@RC Open House from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, in the Patterson meeting room of Roanoke College’s Colket Center.  

For more information about this program or to sign up, contact Dr. Natasha Watts, executive director of Explore@RC, at explore@roanoke.edu.

Explore@RC also can be found online at roanoke.edu/ExploreRC.