FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q. What does SAGE stand for? Who sponsors it?
A. SAGE stands for Summer Advanced Gifted Education, co-sponsored by the UNLV Honors College, the Division of Educational Outreach, and the Clark County School District.

Q. When and where will SAGE be held?
A. July 12-30, 2010, on UNLV's main campus. SAGE classes meet from 9 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Friday. Each course will meet in UNLV classrooms, locations TBA.

Q. Is SAGE a residential program?
A. No. Students are responsible for daily transportation to and from the UNLV campus. Parking passes are provided in the program fee and students are encouraged to carpool.

Q. Can I take more than one class at SAGE?
A. No. SAGE classes are designed to provide you with the same course content as regular semester-long college courses, so the three-week SAGE session allows you to take only one course during that time. Choose wisely!

Q. What is SAGE’s attendance policy? May my child arrive late or leave early?
A. We require daily attendance from 9-5. At the instructor’s discretion, a student may miss all or part of a particular day for documented, rare and exceptional reasons, but the expectation is that each student will arrive on time daily, remaining at UNLV until 5 PM.

Q. Who provides scholarships for my student to attend?
A. Scholarships are generously provided by the UNLV Honors College and other Colleges and academic units at UNLV, as well as private donors and corporations. We welcome additional donors– contact us at sage.academy@unlv.edu if interested!

Q. When do I have to pay for SAGE?
A. Due to UNLV summer session policies, tuition payments cannot occur until after May 1st. Thus, you will be billed for SAGE tuition by the Office of Educational Outreach in May or early June, but you will be admitted to SAGE much earlier in most cases.

Q. Are there any costs to attend SAGE above the $875 program fee?
A. No. The program fee covers tuition, a parking pass, course textbooks and daily lunches in the UNLV Dining Commons, as well as several social activities during SAGE.

Q. What if I have paid full tuition but later find I cannot attend SAGE?
A. If you are not receiving any scholarship, the $875 is fully refundable until July 1, 2010, less a $100 fee for administrative expenses. After that date, it can only be refunded due to documented catastrophic illness or family medical emergency preventing a student from attending.

Q. What if I have been given a partial or full scholarship but later find I cannot attend SAGE?
A. Because SAGE anticipates more students in need of scholarships than we can fund, you must notify us that you will not accept your partial and/or full scholarship by June 1, 2010 in order to give your funds to another deserving SAGE student in a timely manner. If you cancel after this date – except for documented catastrophic illness or family medical emergency- the scholarship amount must be repaid by you in full.

Q. Can I drop the SAGE Seminar or get a refund after I have started it in July?
A. Yes, but you may only receive a refund if the course is dropped on July 12 or July 13, 2010. In that case, you will receive a full refund of your per-credit fees only. If you drop the SAGE Seminar on or after July 14, 2010, the tuition is non-refundable, but a withdrawal without a grade will appear on your UNLV transcript.

Q. Does the SAGE Seminar give out letter grades? May I choose pass-fail?
A. Yes, letter grades are given out but the student may choose the first day of class whether to have a letter grade or a pass-fail notation. This decision is final. The student also receives an evaluative rubric outlining the learning and social behaviors observed in class over the three weeks.

Q. Do I really get both college credit and/or high school credit at SAGE?
A. Yes, if you choose the A-F grading option and if you are in a Clark County public school (enrichment credit). Each SAGE seminar earns you three fully-transferable UNLV Honors course credits along with 1.0 high school enrichment credits. A form will be distributed after SAGE begins for you to request enrichment credit.

Q. May I contact my student’s course instructor after SAGE?
A. Yes. At the conclusion of SAGE, each instructor is available to meet with or call any parent/guardian who requests it in order to outline performance in class and answer any questions. Your instructor may also be available at other times during SAGE, and he/she will announce this in class.

Q. Are topics in class appropriate to all students and age groups?
A. SAGE seminars have the same content as regular college courses. This may mean that a student (or parent) may feel uncomfortable with a particular topic. Please feel free to bring your concerns to the attention of the instructor and an alternative activity can be provided in most cases. We do request that students (or parents) outline their objections as completely as possible in order to find the best solution. As with all UNLV-sanctioned programs, SAGE is committed to the letter and spirit of diversity in academic inquiry.

Q. Where do SAGE students end up going to college?
A. We are happy to report that about 1/3 of all former SAGE participants are enrolled at UNLV, often in the Honors College itself. Some of our alumni are attending universities elsewhere, however, transferring the SAGE credits they got in high school to the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers, UCLA, William and Mary, UC Berkeley, Arizona, Arizona State, UNR, Nevada State and elsewhere.