Kelly Walsh students have the unique opportunity to benefit from Casper College’s program BOCES. BOCES is a program where high school students can enroll and take college classes cost free. Many Natrona County students take part in this dual enrollment system.

As college can be very expensive in today’s society, the program is very helpful to students. Another great benefit to dual enrollment is students can earn college credits while still in high school. Students can be ready for college, and also have reduced college classes needed after high school. 

BOCES stands for Board of Cooperative Education Services. There are many different classes to choose from and students of all grades can participate. Some of the available course options for students are English, History, Math, Construction, Computer Science, and many more. 

Kallie Warren is a senior at Kelly Walsh high school and she has taken advantage of BOCES. You are required to take four English classes to graduate from Kelly Walsh. Instead of taking a class through the school she is able to use BOCES to earn her fourth English credit while also earning credits for a college degree. 

“BOCES has helped me to prepare for the pace and content given in college.  It also is giving me a head start into college so I don’t have to waste my first semester on beginner classes,”  said Warren. 

Not only does Warren get a head start into college, but she is also starting college cost free. Instead of paying to take an English class next semester she can focus on earning her degree faster. 

“I would definitely recommend BOCES classes because college can be expensive. Having the opportunity to take college classes for free is a great deal,” added Warren. 

The process for signing up for different classes is also very simple and easy. You can set up a meeting with your guidance counselor to register. You can also register from the dual enrollment website. Both steps do not take very much time and are easy to complete.

Senior Braden Shelton also has taken advantage of BOCES.

“I signed up for Dual Enroll. After that, I scheduled to meet with an advisor at CC to see which classes worked best for me and signed up for them through Dual Enroll,” said Shelton.

BOCES has been a solid program for many students and helped them prepare for college, earn high school credits and college credits at the same time, and do it all cost free.