ASU and ACT expand college access for Arizona high school learners

This summer, Arizona State University and ACT launched a pilot collaboration that creates a direct pathway from high school testing to college credit. The model meets learners at a moment of demonstrated readiness and connects that momentum directly to credit-bearing university coursework so progress does not stop after test day.

Through ASU Universal Learner Courses, ACT test-takers in Arizona can enroll in online, faculty-taught university courses, earn college credit in high school and demonstrate college readiness before graduation. Expansion to additional states is planned as the model scales.

Built to remove barriers

ASU Universal Learner Courses are designed to remove barriers that often prevent learners from getting started. No application. No GPA requirement. 

Learners begin with a course and complete college-level work before making any commitment to credit, choosing whether to add it to their transcript only if they are satisfied with their grade. 

As part of the ACT collaboration, learners have access to a reduced rate when they choose to convert completed coursework into transcripted credit.

This approach gives high school learners a structured, flexible way to earn transferable college credit through faculty-taught university coursework, with progress built over time rather than a single moment, while maintaining full control over if and how their work becomes part of their academic record.

A scalable pathway for access

The collaboration reflects how ASU Learning Enterprise builds pathways at scale, connecting learners to university-level education through organizations already embedded in their lives. ACT reaches millions of high school students each year. By integrating ASU’s open-access course infrastructure at the point of testing, the model creates a clear and repeatable path from assessment to academic progress.

It also reflects a broader Learning Enterprise vision. The path to higher education can begin before an application, wherever the learner is ready to start.

ASU Learning Enterprise serves more than 1.2 million learners across 157 countries through more than 2,000 partnerships with education, industry and community organizations.

Read the full story and explore courses at ulc.asu.edu/act-asu-partnership.