St. Thomas More Announces Partnership with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

June 6, 2023: Starting with the 2023-24 school year, St. Thomas More High School will partner with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota to allow students to earn college credit in their high school courses.

Classes taken through this program, known as the Program for Advanced College Credit (PACC), hold the same expectations, workload, learning activities, projects, and exams as college courses. Students who maintain a ‘B’ average can earn college credit and an official Saint Mary’s University transcript upon completion of the course. Credits earned from PACC courses transfer to most colleges and universities.

St. Thomas More will offer four PACC courses in 2023-24: Accounting, Advanced Composition, American Government, and Christian Bioethics. Students who enroll in these classes pay only $100 per credit, over 90 percent less than the undergraduate fee charged by Saint Mary’s University.

“By earning college credit while still in high school, students are able to begin their college careers by taking more advanced classes that focus on their areas of academic interest,” St. Thomas More principal Patrick Idstein said. “Students can also save thousands of dollars as they accumulate college credits before even graduating high school.”

Faculty members who teach PACC courses must hold a master’s degree in the class’s subject matter. All class syllabi are screened and approved by Saint Mary’s University to ensure the standards match the expectations of a college-level course.

“Teachers of PACC courses are experts in their subject matter,” Idstein continued. “These classes will challenge students academically and help them prepare for the rigor of college coursework while still in the comforts of St. Thomas More.”

PACC will replace the Concurrent Enrollment Program sponsored by Cardinal Stritch University.

For more information about the Program for Advanced College Credit, please contact Patrick Idstein at pidstein@tmore.org.