EPSO - Early Post Secondary Opportunity
Early post secondary opportunities (EPSOs) include a course and/or exam that give students a chance to obtain post secondary credit while still in high school. Courses (whether stand-alone or in conjunction with an exam for post secondary credit) must be aligned to post secondary standards.
Tennessee students have an unprecedented opportunity to pursue education and training beyond high school through Tennessee Promise, a scholarship and mentoring program which provides high school seniors with two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee. Early post secondary opportunities ensure that students are ready to take full advantage of the Tennessee Promise and succeed in education and training after high school. Research has shown that students who participate in early post secondary courses are more likely to enroll and persist in post secondary environments.
Early post secondary opportunities allow students to:
- earn post secondary credits while in high school.
- become familiar with post secondary rigor and expectations.
- develop confidence and skills for success in post secondary learning.
- make informed post secondary and career decisions.
- decrease the time and cost of completing a certificate or degree.
There are several types of early post secondary opportunities available in Tennessee. View a side-by-side comparison of each type of early post secondary opportunity available in Tennessee. Early post secondary offerings vary widely by school district; reach out to your school counselor for information about the opportunities available within a specific district or school.