North Carolina recently announced a pretty amazing deal for its high school students: free online high school and college courses. The students can enroll in as many courses as they can reasonably handle in order to complete high school requirements or rack up college credit for the future. Here's a blurb from Greensboro's News-Record.com:

"State legislators this week approved spending $11.5 million on a new Learn and Earn Online initiative, which helps students attending public high schools earn high school and college credit for free. Who's it right for? Those who are college-bound, have a high tolerance for written communication and have independent study habits. Access to high-speed Internet at home is helpful but not required."

High school students will have the opportunity to take online classes from forty-four community colleges. The state will cover tuition, fees, and textbook expenses. The chance to earn credit (especially college credit ) at no cost is a sweet deal for high schoolers. While many state approved online charter schools have offered students the chance to earn a high school diploma at no cost, this is the first online program I've read about that offers college credit for free.