Harrisburg Area Community College's Lancaster campus and The Janus School are partnering to offer extra help to students entering the realm of higher education.

Starting in August, students who have earned a high school diploma can enroll in the Foundation of Learning Independence Through Education program.

The program is designed to give them the note-taking, test-taking, time-management and other skills necessary to succeed at a postsecondary institution.

Students accepted into FLITE will attend The Janus School from 8 a.m. to noon weekdays. They also will take college classes part time at HACC's Lancaster campus in the afternoon, evenings or weekends.

Janus is a privately owned and operated school for students who, because of disorders such as attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia or Asperger's syndrome, find learning more difficult.

Children must have an identified learning disorder to enroll at Janus, but that will not be the case for FLITE students.

"Janus will provide the necessary remediation based on the placement tests from HACC," as well as other academic support to keep students on track in their HACC coursework, Deborah Kost, the head of the Janus School, said.

Kost said she approached HACC about creating FLITE after learning that there was nothing like it in the area. "My sense is that it will fill a niche," Kost said. "This is a great next step for any student."

The 10-month program is open to high school graduates in Lancaster County. Kost said the ideal number of students with which to begin the program is about 12.

"We hope to grow it larger than that and eventually work with other colleges," Kost said.

Students can enroll for a semester or a full academic year.

Annual tuition for the half-day program at Janus will be $9,000, not including transportation or residential fees.

Students also will pay HACC the standard rate of $188 in tuition and fees per college credit.

An information session on FLITE was held earlier this month at The Janus School, 205 Lefever Road, Mount Joy. Another is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. June 2.

Michael Corradino, assistant dean of academic affairs at HACC's Lancaster campus, said this is a wonderful opportunity for students who may struggle in a postsecondary school setting. "Any student who has a hesitation about how successful they can be at college-level work would benefit from this, " Corradino said.

Corradino said he believes FLITE is unique because it is tailored to fit students' individual needs.

"The skills courses are wrapped around what (HACC) courses the students are taking," Corradino said. "It's a kind of bridge to progress."

Information about financial aid available from Janus can be found at the school's Web site, www.thejanusschool.org.

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com