College credit that starts without a transcript or an application

The course comes first

Most college coursework asks for a record before it asks for work. Universal Learner Courses reverse that order. Learners enroll in the full catalog of first- and second-year ASU courses offered online, complete the class, then decide whether the grade goes on their transcript.

For students whose high school records are incomplete or interrupted, that sequence matters. The work in front of them counts on its own.

Where the credit leads

Credit earned this way transfers. It also builds toward ASU Earned Admission. Learners under 22 who complete eight courses can apply to an ASU degree program on the strength of that coursework, with no review of what came before.

What Maricopa County’s Durango Juvenile Detention Center built with it

Working with the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, 60 learners at the Durango Juvenile Detention Center have earned college credit and converted 223 courses for credit as of August 2026. Seven are eligible for Earned Admission to ASU. Three more are one course away.

The program’s expansion has also been supported by EdPlus at ASU, which committed $50,000 to cover course and credit conversion costs for Durango learners.

Mark Eastin, juvenile detention operations manager for community and culture at Durango, has worked in the county system for nearly 25 years.

“Kids can learn,” Eastin said. “You just have to give them the opportunity.”

Read the full story from ASU News: A fresh start: ASU partnership helps kids in juvenile detention earn college credits