The Peak Post

Hello, PPEC students and families!

Welcome to the first Peak Post of the 2026–2027 school year! Now that we’re settling into classes and routines, there’s quite a bit to share. This newsletter will help you keep track of academic updates, college opportunities, upcoming events, and those important deadlines that can sneak up on all of us.

For families I haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet, I’m Elisabeth Carter, PPEC’s Dean of Concurrent Enrollment. I work with students on their academic plans, graduation progress, and college coursework, helping them make choices that fit their goals for life after PPEC. I love getting to know our students and learning what they’re excited about, what they’re working toward, and where they could use a little extra support.

Please know that you are always welcome to reach out. Whether you have a quick question or would like to sit down and talk through your student’s options, I’m happy to help. I’m looking forward to connecting with your family throughout the year!

-Mrs. Carter

• Now: Schedule your semesterly Advising Appointment! See the link below this section, at the bottom of this newsletter, in my email signature block, or in the contact info section of our Google Classroom!
• September 28, 2026: Senior Info Night
• September 29, 2026: Accuplacer opportunity - sign up in advance below!
• September 30, 2026: Count Day Activities at lunch on The Campus
• September 30, 2026 3:00 PM: Extended Spring 2027 CE Application
• October 1, 2026: COUNT DAY! You must actively participate in classes on October 1!
• October 1, 2026: FAFSA Opens (Seniors & Year 13 students)
• October 12, 2026: D49 Fall Break Begins-- Campus Pathways classes are not in session
• PPSC Campus college classes are still in session!
• Career Start bussing will still run during Fall Break!
• October 19, 2026: Spring 2027 PPSC College Campus class schedule becomes viewable
• October 26, 2026: Spring 2027 PPSC College Campus class Registration Opens
• October 28, 2026: Early Graduation Request Due
• November 12, 2026: Fall 2026 PPSC College class Withdraw Deadline
• November 18, 2026: ICAP Day at The Campus
• November 23, 2026: Thanksgiving Break Begins
• December 6, 2026: Fall 2026 PPSC Classes end

Don't see a date for something you want to know about or already know about? Send me a note and I'll get it added here and in our PPEC Google Classroom calendar!

Every PPEC student needs to attend an Advising Appointment every semester to make sure that you are on track to meet your goals!

If you haven't already, schedule your Spring 2027 Advising Appointment by clicking the button below.

Monday, Sep 28, 2026 | 6:00 PM | The Campus (In Person)

SENIORS + EARLY GRADUATES

Seniors, students planning to graduate early, and families, please join us for an evening to talk through the year ahead! We’ll cover graduation planning, college applications, financial aid, and the deadlines and decisions you’ll want to keep on your radar.

We’ll also discuss Year 13 and how this option may fit into your student’s academic and college plans (see the section about Year 13 for a bit more information below!)

Jostens will be there, too! Families can ask questions and purchase graduation essentials, including caps and gowns, graduation announcements and invitations, and other senior items.

I encourage all graduating students and their families to attend together so everyone hears the same information and has a chance to ask questions. Whether you already have a plan or are still figuring out your next steps, I’m looking forward to helping you feel more prepared for what’s ahead!

RSVP BELOW ⬇️

Every Fall, the Student Support Services department hosts a College 101 Information Night. This is for all grade levels and can give you an idea of how to navigate planning for postsecondary success.

Check out this page to see the slide deck and gain access to resources that were shared.

Extended deadline: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

Taking college classes while still in high school is called Concurrent Enrollment. At PPEC, college coursework is part of every student’s pathway toward an associate degree or certificate.

If you have previously applied, you do not need to re-apply, but you must still have your semesterly advising appointment!

If you missed the earlier application deadline, you still have time! The Spring 2027 application deadline has been extended to Wednesday, September 30, at 3:00 p.m. This gives students taking the Accuplacer on Tuesday, September 29, time to finish their remaining application steps after testing.

Please use the step-by-step guide in our Google Classroom under Trail Guides: How to Apply to Concurrent Enrollment, or open the application guide here.

If something is getting in the way of finishing, please reach out! Send me a quick email sharing what you’ve completed, what has held you up, and where you could use some help. Be sure to include Spring 2027 CE Application in the subject line. If you need additional time, let me know how much you’re requesting so we can talk through your next steps.

You’re also welcome to stop by CLIMB Outpost (Open Office Hours), Wednesdays from 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Bring your questions or the step you’re stuck on so we can work through it together!

Many of you have received bills in the mail or have seen your balance inside of your Pikes Peak State College Portal.

PPEC and PPSC complete a lengthy billing process, so your balance will be there until that is complete. Most of the time, this is finished and your balance is zero by the end of Fall Break, but sometimes it takes longer.

You should always review your bill every semester to make sure that:

1. your COF has been applied

2. you aren't charged late fees

3. you know what to expect regarding your out of pocket expenses (textbooks for classes taken at the college campus, online fees, lab kit fees, etc.). Don't pay anything into your PPSC (or your specific college) account until after your tuition balance has been paid.

If you aren't sure about your billing statement or even how to get there, please see the Google Classroom post in the Classwork section titled: 💰 Concurrent Enrollment Billing: What You Need to Know.

If you are taking an in-person science class, you might have noticed that there was an online lab kit fee added to your bill!

The PPSC High School Programs Office sent this over the weekend:

High School Partners,

You are receiving this email as you have one or more students enrolled in a college science course on a PPSC campus or at your high school location as a Campus Pathways course. We recently discovered that an Online Lab Kit fee was erroneously charged to your students' accounts for their in-person course. The Financial Services Department is aware of the error and will be removing the Online Lab Kit fee from all affected students' accounts. You (or your students) will not be responsible for this fee.

The affected in-person courses are as follows:

• BIO 1111 & 1112

• BIO 2101 & 2102

• BIO 2104

• CHE 1011 & 1012

• CHE 1111 & 1112

• PHY 1111 & 1112

• PHY 2111 & 2112

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please let me know if there are any questions and thank you for your understanding.

If you are currently taking college classes, you should receive and return your Fall 2026 Concurrent Enrollment Agreement form.

This semesterly contract is required to be filled out by you (the student) and your parent/guardian. Each of you receive a different link in an email that is generated inside of the D49 CE Platform (through Salesforce), so the email may have been filtered to Spam. It comes from me but through a Salesforce generated email.

Without your completed CEA every semester, you will not be eligible for tuition coverage for your courses. Avoid having to pay for all of your college classes & fill out your CEA!

Students graduating this school year: please make time to look through these opportunities. Each program has its own eligibility requirements, so start by checking those and noting the deadline.

It's never too early or too late to start applying for scholarships!

There are a lot of scholarship opportunities out there, and keeping track of them can feel like a project of its own! I’ve put together a tracker to help you organize your applications, keep an eye on deadlines, and celebrate the awards you earn.

Here’s how it works:

• Choose a scholarship from the dropdown, and its award amount, deadline, and application link fill in automatically.

• Deadlines turn red when they’re a week away, making it easier to see what needs your attention.

• Record a scholarship win, and the row turns green while your award total updates!

The tracker includes 21 scholarships organized by deadline, including four worth $20,000 or more, some applications that take under 30 minutes, and a few opportunities you might not expect. You’ll also find free scholarship search resources and a checklist of materials to gather before applying.

👉 Make your own copy of the Scholarship Tracker Here or the button below

When prompted, select “Make a copy” to save your own version.

Not sure where to start? Bring your tracker to CLIMB Outpost (Open Office Hours) on Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m., and we’ll choose your first three scholarships together!

This program awards $20,000 scholarships to 150 students nationwide. The first application stage does not require essays, transcripts, or recommendations. Eligible applicants must be graduating during the 2026–2027 school year.

Review eligibility and apply

The Daniels Scholarship supports eligible graduating seniors in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Funding can cover up to the full cost of attendance at partner schools. Please review the academic, financial, and other eligibility requirements before applying.

Review eligibility and apply

What would you do if zombies took over your school? Unigo invites students to get creative with an original response of 250 words or fewer describing their survival plan, including where they would hide and the five items they would bring.

Who can apply? Students ages 14 and older who are legal residents of the 50 United States or Washington, D.C., and are enrolled in—or plan to attend—an accredited college, university, or trade school by fall 2031.

Entries are judged on writing quality, creativity, originality, and overall excellence.

View the scholarship and apply here.

Boettcher provides $20,000 per year for four years at participating Colorado colleges and universities. If you plan to apply, please let me know early so we can coordinate the school materials your application needs.

Review eligibility and apply

This program awards 500 four-year scholarships, with awards totaling $4,000 or $30,000 over four years. Applicants must be eligible high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and plan to pursue a four-year degree. You do not need to have a family member in the Elks.

Review eligibility and apply

A little planning now can make these applications much more manageable. Give yourself time to gather information, write any required responses, and ask for school documents or recommendations.

Year 13 gives eligible students an additional year at PPEC to continue college coursework and move further toward degree completion (at no tuition cost to families!) before leaving us. For students who are on track but need (up to) one more academic year to complete their degree or certification before transferring, it can be the single highest-value decision of their PPEC career.

The application is open! Students, click the button below and complete your application by December 1, 2026

Eligibility depends on credit progress and degree pathway, so the earlier we look at your transcript together, the better.

Career Start is a concurrent enrollment option that puts you in a hands-on career pathway on a Pikes Peak State College campus while you're still in high school. You attend your program in a cohort with students from other districts, about two hours and 40 minutes a day, five days a week, and you earn both high school and college credit. District 49 covers the cost, textbooks are provided, and busing runs from D49 high school campuses.

2026–2027 program options: Automotive Collision Technology, Automotive Service Technology, Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Certified Nursing Assistant, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Cybersecurity, Diesel Power Mechanics, Early Childhood Education, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire Science Technology, Multimedia Graphic Design, Veterinary Assistant, Welding, and Zoo Keeping.

How much credit? Depending on the program, students can earn 10 to 25 credit hours a year, and those credits are waiting for you if you continue at PPSC.

Who it's for: Juniors and seniors. Some of the programs run two years, so starting junior year gets you the full sequence.

Two things to think through first:

• Career Start takes a block of your day, so we have to map it against your graduation requirements before you commit. Many Career Start courses don't count toward core subject credit.
• If a program is full, you may be placed in your second choice, so pick your top choices carefully.

Interested? Fill out the interest form below and I'll set up a time to look at your plan with you. You can also ask about attending a Career Start visit day, where you meet the instructor and see the program before deciding.

Accuplacer is the placement test that opens the door to concurrent enrollment and can help you complete a necessary graduation requirement. Your score shows you're ready for college-level English and math, and most college courses won't let you register without one on file.

You need Accuplacer if:

• You don't have qualifying SAT or PSAT scores in reading, writing, or math
• You need a score to meet a prerequisite for a spring course
• You've been told your current scores place you below a course you want

It's free, and you test here at school. Testing runs off and on throughout the semester rather than in set windows, so seats open as they're scheduled. Sign up early if a spring course depends on it.

👉 Sign up here 👈

Before you test:

• Practice. The free Accuplacer study app from College Board uses real practice questions.
• Bring your student ID, a charged laptop or Chromebook, and headphones.
• Eat something and give yourself time. There's no clock on the test.
• If you need testing accommodations, email me at elisabeth.carter@d49.org at least a week ahead so I can set them up.

Timing matters. Your score has to be on file before you can register for spring courses, and final concurrent enrollment advising for Spring 2027 is Friday, November 20. Test on 9/29 or in early October if you can.

Not sure whether you need it, or what your current scores already qualify you for? Come to CLIMB Outpost (Open Office Hours) on Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m., and we'll check together.

If you’re thinking about graduating before your expected graduation date, let’s talk! Start by reading the Early Graduation Trail Marker (in our Google Classroom and below) with your parent or guardian, then schedule an advising appointment with me.

Finishing your high school credits early doesn’t automatically change your graduation date. Students must submit a formal Early Graduation Request, attend the required meeting, and receive administrative approval.

Before you decide, here’s what we’ll review:

• Your high school and college progress. Leaving early may mean giving up the opportunity to finish college courses, a certificate, or an associate degree while you’re still at PPEC. We’ll review both transcripts and discuss what you could complete by staying.

• College costs and Year 13. We’ll talk about how graduating and exiting PPEC affects college funding and your opportunity to participate in Year 13.

• Applications, scholarships, and financial aid. An earlier graduation date can change your application timeline. We’ll discuss what to confirm with colleges so you don’t miss deadlines or plan to start before funding is available.

• Your goals and next steps. What would graduating early make possible for you? We’ll discuss your plan, what still needs to happen, and your backup options if things change.

You don’t need to have your decision made before we talk! I’m happy to help you and your family work through the options.

✅ Your Action Steps

1. Read the Early Graduation Trail Marker with your parent or guardian.

2. Schedule an advising appointment. You and a parent or guardian will attend the required in-person meeting. Contact me if scheduling or participation presents a difficulty.

3. Submit the Early Graduation Request in the 2026–2027 PPEC Google Classroom before your appointment and no later than October 28, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

4. Come prepared to discuss your plans and ask questions. During our appointment, we’ll review your records and complete the Early Graduation Acknowledgement Form together.

Continue attending and completing your current classes while your request is being reviewed. Submitting a request is not approval to change your enrollment.

Have a quick question or need help figuring out your next step? Stop by and see me!

Wednesdays | 11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Mrs. Carter’s Office | Room 184
Can’t stop by in person? Join virtually here!

Bring your questions about college or concurrent enrollment applications, scholarships, or academic planning. If your question needs more time, we’ll find an advising appointment to work through it together.