St. Ignatius Chesterton Academy, Franciscan University of Steubenville Partnership Announced, Offering College Credit to High Schoolers

July 27, 2022

St. Ignatius Chesterton Academy juniors and seniors now have the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school through Franciscan Advantage, a newly launched academic partnership between the Chesterton Schools Network (CSN) and Franciscan University of Steubenville.

This first-of-its-kind collaboration between the CSN, which St. Ignatius is a member of, and Franciscan University serves the intellectual and spiritual needs of students, families and communities while simultaneously ensuring affordable Catholic education.

“We are thrilled to offer this new opportunity to St. Ignatius students and families through Franciscan Advantage,” St. Ignatius System Administrator and Headmaster Nathan Vande Hey said. “This partnership demonstrates the high quality academics and Catholic classical curriculum students are engaged with at St. Ignatius. It also helps support access to affordable, faithfully Catholic education.”

St. Ignatius students, through Franciscan Advantage, concurrently enroll in designated theology and philosophy courses as part of their regular daily course schedule at St. Ignatius and then complete college-level examinations administered online by Franciscan University. The St. Ignatius courses are aligned with Franciscan University’s curriculum. College credit earned may also be transferred to other institutions.

In the 2022-23 school year, St. Ignatius students concurrently enrolled in designated courses will be eligible to earn up to 6 college credit hours this year. The agreement could expand to 36 credit hours across additional disciplines in future years.

Franciscan Advantage students can also have access to Franciscan Life Online, which provides opportunities for community and faith formation through virtual events such as small group meetings, weekly Rosary, and live-streamed lectures.

St. Ignatius will work closely with its students and families and provide connection to Franciscan University’s program liaison to help them make the most of this partnership. Contact Nancy Vande Hey for more information. Learn more here.