Rob:  In the past decade, the cost of college has risen faster than even the cost of health care, but a relatively new program is helping cash-strapped students and their parents make ends meet.  As our Brian Bendele reports, a growing number of students are earning college credit and getting a jump on their careers, while still in high school.
Brian:  Today’s youth no longer look at college as the pinnacle of their educational careers.  Instead, they see their school as a pit stop on their way to a desired profession.
Cesar Arumbula:  When I came and interviewed for the job, I had a whole bunch of experience that the other people that were interviewing for the job didn’t have.
Brian:  Cesar Arumbula, from Purcell, is in his second year of college at Oklahoma City Community College, and says he already has a head start on his classmates by not only working part-time in his career at Ideal Homes…
Arumbula:   And if you’re at a 46 degree angle, the whole house is going to be off.
Brian:  But also earning college credit at his local CareerTech.
Arumbula:  Some of the classes that are required to be an architect, there are students in there that are saying, “I am taking drafting and design at OCCC.”  And I told them I didn’t have to take it, because I went to the Tech Center.
Brian:  Cesar is one of many students who are using the Cooperative Alliance Program to gain college credit at an early age; Mid America Technology student , Karen Lara.
Karen Lara:  When I graduate I will already have 16 credits in college, and that was a good opportunity for me, and it was cheap also, so it was really good.
Brian:  Currently credit classes are eight dollars a credit hour and some students can apply for free tuition, all of which is considerably cheaper than paying tuition at a university; something Karen says her sister whishes she had when she was in school.
Lara:  She wished she had that opportunity when I have it, you know.  So she was just saying that’s a really good opportunity, and I should take it.  And she’s actually the one that’s helped me push myself to do a lot of the things that I’m doing.
Brian:  Positive encouragement that Branton Hutchinson says is necessary to reach his personal goal.
Branton Hutchinson:  I want to be the first one to go to college in my family.
Brian:  Branton says the Cooperative Alliance Program has allowed him to gain enough credits for one full semester, in college.
Hutchinson:  I would still try to go to college, but I know it would be a lot harder and a lot longer.
Brian:  Branton is eager to finish his training and college education, so one day he can own his own business.
Hutchinson:  My mom is really excited for me.  She didn’t expect me to graduate from school.  It’s a really good feeling.  You don’t get to see this that much.
Brian:  The Alliance Program allows students to earn credit in a number of career majors and has agreements with 29 Tech Center districts and 12 primary university partners all across the state.  Health care student, Ivonne Ugalve.
Ivonne Ugalve:  Now that I’m a senior, and that I’m thinking about it, I’m going to have 26 hours of credits.  And that’s like a year of college, so that puts me, like, a year ahead of the game. 
Brian:  Ivonne hopes to obtain her licensed practical nursing certificate; knowing if she decides to go to college, the credit she has earned will be there. 
Ugalve:  I like what I’m doing now, but I still want to get more skills, more skills in the back office and try to get everything that I can.  If I’m not using it right now, I might use them later if I decide to go to a college or university to use them.
Brian:  But for Midwest City student, Rodney Finell, college couldn’t come soon enough.
Rodney Finell:  I don’t want to put it off too long.  I just want to go in and get it done, get my major and minor, so that I can be able to own my own business and be able to branch off and do the many different things that I want to do, whether it’s music, whether it’s drafting, whether it’s video production. 
Brian:  Rodney, like the others agree, an opportunity like this is hard to pass up.
Finell:  I looked at it, like, if it’s an opportunity, then I want to take advantage of it.