The Early College Academy is a one-of-its-kind partnership between the ISD and MCC Blue River in which qualifying juniors and seniors who apply and are accepted into the program will attend ISD classes as a high school student for half of the school day and attend MCC Blue River classes as a college student for the other half of the school day, earning both high school graduation requirements and college credits, at no cost to families.
Program Overview
The Early College Academy offers high-performing, dedicated students the opportunity to learn and socialize within a community of motivated peers.
- Students enrolled in the Early College Academy attend MCC-Blue River for a half day during their junior and senior years of high school. During this time, they participate in a curriculum composed of college-level coursework taught by MCC–Blue River professors.
- Upon successful completion, these courses may count toward both high school graduation requirements and Missouri’s CORE 42 college-level credits.
- Early College students are expected to enroll in a minimum of 9 college credit hours each semester.
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Admission to the Early College Academy is offered on a rolling basis until all 25 cohort seats are filled. Although application deadlines are provided, the program may reach capacity beforehand. Once the cohort is full, we are unable to accept any additional applications, even if it is before the posted deadline.
Important Information
- This new program is launching for the 2026-27 school year.
- The ECA program is limited to 25 student participants.
- ECA students may take 10-12 credit hours, in both the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semesters. A student taking 8-10 credit hours at MCC would take 4 ISD classes, and a student taking 11-14 credit hours would take 3 ISD classes. (The program includes up to 12 credit hours for free, so families are responsible for the cost of any credit hours beyond 12.)
- ECA students are still considered full-time ISD students and are eligible for all MSHAA athletics and activities.
- Students must provide their own transportation to MCC Blue River in the mornings and from MCC Blue River to their ISD high school for afternoon classes. This means students must take MCC classes that begin at (or after) 8 a.m. and end at (or before) 12:15 p.m.
- Students could incur costs for: lost textbooks, repayment of tuition for grades of D or F (or for withdrawing from the course), and/or for credit hours taken beyond what is approved for the ECA program.
Contact
If you have questions about the program, reach out to your high school counselor or email jami_pelzl@isdschools.org.
Benefits
Students earn 10–12 college hours per semester, for free.
Students earn ISD graduation requirements while concurrently earning college credit.
Students make substantial progress toward earning an Associates of Arts or General Education Certificate by high school graduation.
These courses are part of the Core 42, which are transferable to any
publicly funded 4-year college or university in Missouri.
Learn More
Register to attend an ECA Information Session, open to incoming 2026-27 juniors and seniors.
Click on the dates below!
Deadlines
January 5th, 2026: ISD application window opens
February 13, 2026: Last day to complete ISD Early College Application Google Form and MCC Application for Enrollment
February 20, 2026: Must submit their qualifying ACT and/or Accuplacer scores no later than 8:00 a.m.
Students will be admitted into the program on a rolling basis, and all seats could fill prior to the application deadlines. Late submissions will be accepted if there are seats remaining in the program.
Qualifications & Requirements
Application Links
Thank you for your interest in the Independence School District (ISD) Early College Academy at MCC–Blue River.
Step 1: Complete ISD Early College Application Google Form
Step 2: Complete MCC Application for Enrollment