Advanced placement tests are a way for high school students to get a head start with college credits, but it could also be a way to save a few thousand dollars as well.

Receiving college credits while still in high school is nothing new, but CNN reported on one student planning to attend the University of Massachusetts (UMass)-Amherst in the fall, who has been taking AP classes to save her parents money.

"My parents need as much help as they can get [to cover tuition]," said Bahiya Nasuuna.

She has passed seven AP classes and one English class that will allow her to skip the subject as a freshman at UMass.

This kind of head start on college is also leading students toward early college programs, community service or anything to expedite a college degree.

Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) in Ohio is a charter high school that allows students as early as sophomore year to simultaneously enroll in college courses at the nearby Sinclair Community College.

"Everyone is looking for a leg up," said DECA principal Dave Taylor.

According to U.S. Education Department (ED) data, 1.3 million students took college courses before leaving high school in the 2010-2011 academic year. That figure is up 67 percent since 2003.

This should be seen as a sign of future success and not a simple method of cutting costs. Students enrolled in early college programs and courses earn an average of 36 credits before enrolling at a university. In other words, some students are starting college as sophomores, because 36 credits is more than a year's worth at most institutions.

In a June report, the American Institute for Research (AIR) found students who take early college courses are more likely than those who do not to go on to pursue higher education. According to another separate study, those students are also more likely to finish their degree.

Taylor suggested that allowing a high school student to sit in a class with 20-something-year-olds motivates them and encourages them to pursue a college degree.

"What we hear from kids all the time is, 'It's amazing to me that I can sit in a college classroom with 22-year-olds,'" Taylor said. "When you're actually doing college work, it ups the ante quite a bit, so they feel like they can compete and be successful wherever they might choose to go."