Boston-The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) will honor the Vermont Dual Enrollment Program at its ninth annual New England Higher Education Excellence Awards celebration to be held Friday, March 11, 2011, at the Long Wharf Marriott Hotel in Boston, Mass. More than 500 people will attend this event, including leaders of education, business and government from across the six New England states.

Each year, NEBHE presents Regional Excellence Awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional leadership on behalf of higher education and the advancement of educational opportunity, and State Merit Awards to honor the innovative work of organizations, institutions or individuals in each New England state.

The Vermont Dual Enrollment program is the recipient of the Vermont State Merit Award, which honors an individual or program that has made a significant contribution to higher education or has increased access to higher education.

The program allows high school students to earn college credit while still in high school or the summer after they graduate. Successful high school students have earned anywhere from three to 18 college credits-decreasing the time it takes to get a college degree, reducing the costs associated with college, and challenging themselves through college-level curriculum.

Courses in the Vermont Dual Enrollment Program are offered tuition-free, with support from VSAC's state GEAR UP and the state of Vermont's Next Generation Initiative. The program is a sterling example of how to increase access to higher education for "first-generation" college students while reducing the cost of college.