High school students who want to earn college credit now will pay a lot less at the University of Alabama.

UA’s Early College program for fall 2025 is now $33 per credit hour, a 90% decrease from its previous price.

“This move makes Early College accessible to even more students to experience our support-driven dual enrollment program,” said Lynette Campos, director of UA Early College in a news release. “The reduction reduces financial barriers and opens doors for more students to experience college-level coursework from a prominent, nationally ranked university.”

High school students can choose take more than 100 courses, allowing them “to get a head start on their college education” while “reducing the overall cost.” Courses are offered online and in-person. Options can include Japanese, physics and computer science principles.

Students also get a college adviser and can talk about which other courses they want to pursue if they pick UA for college.

Students must be have completed ninth grade with at least a 3.0 GPA. Enrolled students then take a free Early College readiness course.

Other universities around the state, including Troy University, the University of North Alabama and Auburn University, offer similar options for high school students.

Dual enrollment also is a popular option for high school students. They represented 4.9% of university enrollment and 31.9% of community college enrollment in 2023, according to state data.