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CHARLOTTE – Students across the country are earning high school diplomas while also getting college credit.

It's a relatively new concept that's catching on in North Carolina, especially at Cato Middle College High School in Charlotte. The school graduated 57 students Thursday.

While in school, graduates earned college courses for free, a move graduate Elizabeth Davis said would benefit her future.

"Go ahead and get my foot in the door and start getting ready for my future a year or two earlier then I would normally have it I stayed in a regular high school," Davis said.

Cato graduate Jessica Jones said she had a specific motivation for earning college credit.

"I really wanted to finish college early. And then I wanted to double major, so it helps that I have all these credits," Jones said.

The graduates earned more than $300,000 in scholarships, and averaged 30 college credits apiece.

"The reason behind it is to really challenge the students we have," Rudene Marlowe, a teacher in the math department, said. "There are a lot of students capable of college work in high school."

That's why districts across the state offer the program, allowing students who are willing to work to get a leg up on the competition.

"Before I came to Cato I really didn't like school," Jones said. "It was more going to hang out rather than learn, but now I love school."