Gifted high school students in Idaho could receive scholarships to attend college early, in a proposed law that has recently passed the state’s House of Representatives and awaits approval by the state Senate, the Associated Press reported.
The law would allow students to graduate from high school up to three years early, and then receive taxpayer money to attend a state university or community college, the article said.
Idaho would join a trend of states letting gifted students move on to college earlier. Eight other states allow high school sophomores who pass certain tests to graduate early. A Utah lawmaker earlier this year proposed letting such students skip the senior year, the article said.
Critics say there may be negative social implications of letting students attend college early. But supporters say the early graduation plan would allow students who aren’t being challenged to move on and save money for the state because the scholarships would be less expensive than the cost of educating the students for the additional years of high school, the article said.
