Twenty SLAM North Seniors Earned Associate Degrees
The students finished their high school careers with 60 college credits, saving $312,000 in tuition costs.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Twenty students at SLAM North in Miami secured associate degrees from Doral College before their high school graduation. These seniors were part of a larger cohort of 56 graduates at the charter school.
Why it matters
The dual-enrollment program provides tuition-free college access to students in communities where such opportunities have historically been limited. The initiative allows participants to enter higher education with two years of credits already completed.
Twenty students earned a combined total of 1,200 college credits, resulting in an estimated $312,000 in total tuition savings based on a cost of $260 per credit. These figures represent the results from the most recent graduating cohort.
The players
SLAM North
A Miami charter school that is part of a larger network of 14 schools across the country.
Doral College
The institution that provided the college-level coursework for the dual-enrollment program.
Armando Christian Pérez
The founder who opened the first SLAM school in 2012.
The details
The students completed their coursework through an ambitious dual-enrollment partnership with Doral College while maintaining their high school requirements. The SLAM school network, which operates 14 campuses across four states and serves nearly 7,000 students, continues to combine standard academic curriculum with intensive career preparation.
Timeline
2012: The first SLAM school was opened in Miami by Armando Christian Pérez.
2022: The SLAM network was named a Cognia System of Distinction.
Beyond the 305
This achievement follows the network being named a Cognia System of Distinction in 2022, marking a continued focus on academic performance. The dual-enrollment model mirrors efforts in other urban school districts to expand college credit access to students in underserved neighborhoods.
For local families, this demonstrates the financial potential of dual-enrollment programs in reducing the long-term burden of college tuition. Parents of current students can look to their school administration to determine if similar college credit pathways are available for upcoming academic years.
The takeaway
The successful completion of 1,200 total college credits by this cohort highlights the tangible savings possible through early college programs. Parents should consult their local school counseling offices to evaluate specific dual-enrollment opportunities available in their district.
Further reading
Learn more about the local landscape of Secondary Education and how charter schools are shaping graduation outcomes in the city.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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Should local high schools prioritize dual-enrollment programs to help students earn college credits?
