Programs that allow high school students to take college courses for credit have existed for decades. But in Rhode Island, they have usually served high-achieving students whose families can afford to pay $150 or more per class.

One popular program, Early Enrollment, has operated since 1980. About 2,000 students a year take college-level courses in their own high schools, instead of traveling to a college campus. Their high school teachers are approved to teach the courses, provided they have a master’s degree in the subject and agree to follow a course syllabus approved by professors at Rhode Island College. The professors also drop by a few times a year to ensure that the classes are rigorous enough.

This year, 3,500 Rhode Island high school students — mostly juniors and seniors — participated in various dual-enrollment programs throughout the state.

If students earn a high enough grade in a given course, most colleges will accept the credits. Several private colleges — including Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Providence College and the New England Institute of Technology — also offer credit programs to high school students for a fee.

What is different about the Pathways partnership between RIC and Mount Pleasant High School in Providence is that it is designed for students from low-income homes who might not consider themselves college material. Another key difference: they don’t have to pay for the courses.

More states are establishing programs to reach out to this population, recognizing that minority and low-income students are a fast-growing segment of the population and many more will need college educations to compete in today’s economy, said Jack R. Warner, the state’s higher education commissioner.

“We did an analysis of our dual-enrollment programs a few years ago and found that we were in fact serving mainly suburban students,” Warner said. “We didn’t really have a way to reach out to low-income students.”

Two years ago, the state set aside $300,000 for a series of pilot programs for urban students at URI and CCRI and the Pathways program at RIC, all of which are free to the students.

About 20 Central Falls High School students are taking a few college courses this summer at the University of Rhode Island’s Providence campus. And the Community College of Rhode Island has a partnership with the Met School in Providence that allows 26 sophomores, juniors and seniors to take several college courses. Each semester, sophomores take one class at CCRI, juniors two classes and seniors three classes.

Jessica Geier, who coordinates dual-enrollment programs for the state’s Office of Higher Education, says she is hopeful state financing will keep these programs afloat, but says the Pathways program may have to be scaled back next year due to budget constraints.

RIC President Nancy Carriuolo, a first-generation college graduate from a family of modest means, says programs like Pathways are essential to help more low-income students get into — and graduate from — college. The programs nurture friendships, give students a support system and provide mentors who help them apply to college.

“It shows them how capable they are, that they really can do college-level work,” Carriuolo said. “Maybe no one ever took the time to tell them that.”

jjordan@projo.com