EDUCATION

Finish high school with bachelor's degree? At 1 school, yes

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this photo taken Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, Aya Tal-mason gestures as she talks to a reporter, at Florida Atlantic University High School, in Boca Raton, Fla. Tal-mason described her research on cancer-fighting drugs. At tuition-free Florida Atlantic University High School, all students can simultaneously earn their high school diploma and bachelor’s degree. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (The Associated Press)

In this photo taken Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, Hannah Herbst, smiles after an interview at Florida Atlantic University High School, in Boca Raton, Fla. Herbst recently visited President Barack Obama to explain the inexpensive generator she designed that uses plastic spoons and the hydropower of streams to charge cellphones, giving remote villagers a link to the outside world. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (The Associated Press)

In this photo taken Wednesday, Sept. 7, student and author Paige Fries talks to a reporter at Florida Atlantic University High School, in Boca Raton, Fla. Fries recently published a science-fiction novel. At tuition-free Florida Atlantic University High School, all students can simultaneously earn their high school diploma and bachelor’s degree. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (The Associated Press)

At tuition-free Florida Atlantic University High School, all students can simultaneously earn their high school diploma and bachelor's degree.

Education officials say it appears to be the nation's only such school.

About eight of each year's graduating class of 130 accomplish that feat and nearly 100 percent get their degree by 19.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals and the school's administrators know of no other program like it.

The 540 students spend most of their sophomore, junior and senior years at Florida Atlantic University studying alongside older students.

Some of the students come from 50 miles away to attend the unique program.

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Follow Terry Spencer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/terryspen . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/terry-spencer .