August 21st, 2012
Dear Prospective PACC Parents,
Greetings from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota! I am pleased to offer your son/daughter with an outstanding opportunity to earn college credit before he/she ever sets foot on a campus, for a fraction of what it would normally cost: $60.00 per credit hour.
The Program for Advanced College Credit is a program specifically and solely designed by Saint Mary’s University and offered to our constituent private high schools currently participating in our programming.
If you have received this letter from your student’s high school, you have the opportunity to register your child for classes currently offered. Your student must meet the mandatory eligibility requirements outlined on our website: www.smumn.edu/pacc :
· Be of junior or senior status
· Have at least a 'B' average and a score in (at least) the 50th percentile on a standardized test
· Return the registration form and tuition fee to your high school by the stated deadline
· Achieve enrollment at the discretion of the high school teacher and/or administrator
When your student registers for a course through PACC, he/she becomes a part-time student at Saint Mary's. His/her academic records [from the course(s) taken] will be maintained by the Saint Mary's Registrar's Office, as are the records of all Saint Mary's students.
Before you investigate this opportunity further, it is important for you to go to our website and read the current list of universities and colleges across the US that accept PACC credit, which is extensive. It is a good idea to make sure that the schools your son/daughter are most interested are on that list: www.smumn.edu/pacc (Information for High Schools) (Current Institutions that Accept PACC Credit).
Accepting post-secondary institutions accept PACC credits in one of two ways: either as a direct fulfillment of equivalent content courses, [such as freshman English composition], or else as general education credits. This is at the discretion of each institution. I encourage you to visit our website for details: www.smumn.edu/pacc .
PACC courses are conveniently taught in your student’s high school by his/her teachers who hold higher degrees in particular content areas. These classes provide duel enrollment credits; that is, your son/daughter will earn both high school credits and college credits at the same time.
PACC differs from AP: AP only issues credits based on one final test at the end of an entire year of work. If the day of the AP test is not a good testing day, there is much to be lost. PACC credit is issued based on a cumulative grade calculated at the end of the course and is reflective of work completed throughout the class. A transcript from Saint Mary’s University of MN will be issued to your student posting the final letter grade and credits earned.
Ask your student’s teacher/s for more details and a registration form right away, to ensure a spot for your son/daughter in the PACC courses being offered this school year. I look forward to serving you through PACC!
Judi Becker, M.S. Education
Director of Program for Advanced College Credit/English Instructor
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
507-457-1529