Now students can get a head start on student loan debt.

From Quartz:

US students can now get federal money to take college classes while still in high school

Taking college courses during high school is the classic overachiever’s move. It impresses recruiters, employers, and college admissions officers alike—and, as a bonus, it helps students skip ahead to advanced classes once they get to their universities.

But for poorer students, the motivation can be completely different. College credits earned in high school—which may cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars—can translate to a reduced course load in college. That can mean lower tuition bills, a more manageable academic schedule, and a speedier graduation. Access to these courses also encourages high school students to think of college as an available, and less daunting, possibility.

On Friday, the US Department of Education recognized all these benefits by unveiling a new program. Under the program, the Obama administration will extend Pell grants—the signature federal packages that fund thousands of low-income college students each year—to qualifying students who want to take college courses in high school, thereby eliminating a huge financial obstacle for these high schoolers and their families. As many as 10,000 young students will get the extended grants in the 2016-17 school year. The program, currently running as an experimental pilot, will cost the government $20 million.