MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Students from Mexico can now earn early college credits through the South Texas College Dual-Enrollment Program.

The program stems from a recent partnership between South Texas College and multiple schools in Mexico.

This spring semester, high school juniors and seniors from Mexico began taking online STC courses to jumpstart their college careers without the need to ever leave the country.

Constanza Maria Gomez Isassi is a junior at Collegio Mexicano in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

She is one of the first groups of students to be taking advantage of this new international program.

“It’s like a privilege for me to still study in Mexico in like high school and still be able to be studying in the United States. It will benefit me because I will get ahead in my college work and I will know how the U.S. system or school system is about,” said Constanza.

Constanza’s mother, Veronica Isassi, said this program will help her daughter practice her English and in the long run, help her focus on what career she wants to pursue at STC.

Through this program, and through more partnerships underway, students like Constanza will now be a few steps closer to starting and continuing a successful college career in the U.S.

Luisa Fernanda Rodriguez, the Global Market Development Coordinator at STC, told Valley Central, “They’re getting ahead of the game, we can say that, right? If they decide to come to the United States, they already have their basic courses.” 

Students in Mexico can take up to two classes per semester, costing them $291 per four-credit course.

Among the classes, students can take include English, Algebra, History, and other core basics.