Mistake # : Making Dual Credit About Something Other Than Learning
It can be easy to make college about something other than equipping your student for life. College is expensive. It takes a long time. Plus, with credential inflation, it seems like higher and higher degrees are expected just to find a good job. That takes more time.
Dual credit offers solutions to these problems. It can be incredibly efficient, propelling students into an early career launch.
But remember: dual credit is about learning. Not money. Not time. Not bragging rights for seeing your child graduate early. It is about the zest to live a curious life.
Sit down with your student and think together about their educational future, apart from the distractions of study time and finances. What is good for them?
Pursue that goal relentlessly. If that goal is best served by combining high school and college studies, you have found yourself a truly excellent reason to pursue dual credit.
Dual credit is a fantastic option for many high school students. And it might be perfect for yours.
So do your research, respect your childs maturity level, find a dual credit program that fits their needs, and keep your eyes on the prize of an excellent college education, and your student cant go wrong.
Now that youve demystified dual credit and paved the way for your students smooth transition from high school to college, its time step back and enjoy the process. Youve got this!
Spotlight: Online Dual Enrollment Programs
While many dual enrollment opportunities take place on campuses, students also can find online programs that make dual enrollment a little more convenient. Through online dual enrollment programs, students can still earn college credit without needing to commute to campus. Students can check out these online dual enrollment programs or search for specific programs in their areas.
Articulation Agreements And Curricular Alignment
BHCC shares articulation agreements with many local high schools, awarding college credit for certain advanced courses taught at high schools.
BHCC faculty in Mathematics and English are working with their colleagues in several area high schools to align high school and college curriculum, ensuring students arrive at college ready to take college-level courses.
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Some States Have Guaranteed Credit Transfers For In
One example is Ohios College Credit Plus. The program has a Transfer to Degree Guarantee, meaning that many of the credits earned at an Ohio public college are guaranteed to transfer to any other Ohio public college.
Meanwhile, you arent guaranteed to earn college credit with AP exams, even if you receive a high score on your exam. Policies vary by the university and the course.
Which Universities Accept Dual
I am currently taking collage classes in high school and will receive an AA degree by graduation. A simple google search does not give me a list. So far Ive heard that universities in Washington and Texas accept them. If you know any other states that do this that would be great!
There is no all-encompassing list. You need to go college by college for the schools on your list.
As a general rule, your in-state public will more likely give credit than an OOS public or a private college.
also, by having an AA you now will apply as a transfer student instead of as a freshman, which may put out of the running for some schools. Talk to your GC about this.
Thats not always true. At the university I attended, You are a transfer student if you have attempted or completed 18 or more credits at another college or university after high school graduation.
Dual enrollment college courses do not make you a transfer as long as you took these while in HS and you did not graduate . Still check with your GC.
My D goes to a private college and they took all her DE credits. Keep the syllibi available for all classes taken and also you will get a transcript from the CC to send to the college that you get accepted from. I think these days many colleges take the credit., not sure about the AA
It doesnt sound like s/he took dual enrollment classes though. A lot of straight CC classes is my guess. I would find it hard to believe that any HS would offer enough DE classes to get an AA.
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Does Dual Enrollment Credit Look Good On My College Application
It does! Our admissions staff is always looking for evidence of a student’s ability to be successful at George Fox, and completing college-level work while in high school is typically a clear indicator of college readiness.
Sierra McNeil, Class of 2017
Running Start allowed me to complete both a high school diploma and an associates degree in business at the same time. Upon graduating from high school, I had taken 109 quarter-credits at a local community college, which I was able to transfer into 64 equivalent semester credits when I began as a freshman at George Fox. This will allow me to graduate from George Fox in just two years with bachelors degrees in both business management and marketing.This opportunity to start on college early has encouraged me to not only succeed academically but also professionally. I appreciate the fact George Fox was accommodating and easy to work with when it came to transferring my Running Start credits.
Dual Enrollment Could Be Logistically Or Academically Overwhelming
While online dual enrollment classes are becoming more popular, theyre far from the mainstream. In most cases, youll probably be driving back and forth from your high school to your local community college. And that could get old quickly.
Also, dont forget, youll be taking real college courses. That could be a lot to handle on top of your regular high school coursework. And, in some cases, trying to juggle both could actually cause your high school GPA to suffer.
If your high school grades are dropping, that kind of defeats the whole purpose of dual enrollment. For all these reasons, new dual enrollment students may want to take things slow. Try dipping your toes in the water with one course per semester before diving headfirst into a full course load.
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Important Policies And Procedures
- Dual enrollment course grades are posted to the student’s permanent UNO transcript.
- Student is responsible for officially withdrawing prior to the posted deadline from any course he/she cannot complete. A course dropped through the 14th class day is not entered on a student’s record. A grade of W is entered for each course dropped after the 14th class. After the 53rd class day, courses may not be dropped. See the current Academic Calendar for exact dates for each semester.
- Dropping all classes for a semester is considered resigning from the University. Students are responsible for initiating action to resign from the University on or before the last day to resign as indicated on the current Academic Calendar. After that date, a student may not resign from the University.
- Students who fail to resign by the published final date for such action will be retained on the class rolls even though they may be absent for the remainder of the semester and be graded as if they were in attendance. Failure to attend class does not constitute a resignation.
Continuing Dual Enrollment Students
If you are a student currently enrolled in UNO’s Dual Enrollment program and wish to continue for another consecutive semester, you will need to submit an online request to continue your enrollment.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to register for your next semester’s courses until we have received this completed request.
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How Much Can Dual Enrollment Save
If youre considering dual enrollment as a way to save money, its important to know how much it can really save you compared to the cost of classes at a college.
Dual enrollment can cost as much as $400 per class, plus you have to consider the costs of getting to the classes, textbooks, and other class materials.
The average cost of a college credit hour is $559. That means that one dual credit class, which usually is worth four credit hours, is worth $2,336.
However, the cost of a credit hour varies widely from college to college.
If you go to a four-year public school, a credit hour only costs $396 on average, making the dual enrollment course worth $1,584. A four-year private school, on the other hand, tends to charge $1,492 per credit, making a dual credit course worth $5,968.
To figure out how much taking a dual enrollment class can help you save, start by thinking about the type of college you plan to attend. Before you count on the savings, be sure that the school will accept your dual credit.
Take the cost of four credit hours at that type of college, then subtract any costs you have to pay to take the course, including tuition and supplies like textbooks, to find the amount youll save.
Also consider the fact that if you take enough dual credit classes to graduate from college a semester early, you can also save on room and board costs. This will help reduce the amount youll have to borrow in student loans.
How Dual Enrollment Stands Out
Students considering dual enrollment may find themselves comparing it against programs such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate . While all of these programs expose students to postsecondary work, there are a few key differences.
Unlike AP or IB, dual enrollment grades appear on both high school and college transcripts. McAnaney reminds student that this provides additional documentation students can include in their college applications, and it can affect transfer of credit between institutions, especially if students take courses outside of general education or core.
AP and IB programs also take place at high schools. Classes are taught by high school teachers exclusively to high school students. This is generally not the case with dual enrollment. Dually enrolled students take classes intended for college students rather than for high-achieving high school students. Because of this, the classes dually enrolled students may take can vary widely in terms of content and rigor. AP and IB programs are based on national and international standards, so a student in Arizona will have a similar experience to that of a student in Maine. Dual enrollment offers a different experience thats influenced by a particular colleges environment as well as its coursework and instructors.
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They Are Generally More Academically Rigorous
Community colleges tend to have less rigorous curricula than that offered through the AP program. The exception to this is if youre taking a course not available in your high school, such as multivariable calculus, or if the course youre taking is at a university known for particular rigor in that topic .
What Are Dual Enrollment Programs
In dual enrollment programs, high school students take courses at two- or four-year colleges and earn college credit, high school credit, or both. This enables students to get a taste of a college curriculum and potentially pursue subjects or courses that arent available at their high school. Note that the term concurrent enrollment program is sometimes used interchangeably with the term dual enrollment, though some states use these terms to describe distinct programs.
Though these programs have a significant upside, there are some potential drawbacks to consider, too. For one, credits wont always transfer to a students future university. Moreover, not all high-schoolers are prepared for a college-level curriculum. And though some states require the district or state to pay for dual enrollment, others place the financial burden for dual enrollment courses on the student or parent.
However, there is some evidence that indicates that these programs successfully boost student outcomes, correlating with stronger retention and graduation rates and higher college GPAs for participants.
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Who Offers The Course:
Dual enrollment classes are college classes that are available to high school students. They may be offered at your high school, but they are often taught by college professors on campus or online.
Advanced Placement classes are taught at high schools, by high school teachers. Theyre intended to be taught at the college level but are organized by the high school.
Mistake # : Taking Courses Without Researching College Transfer Policies
Colleges and universities make their own rules about whether or not a course from another institution fits their degree requirements. This independent standard makes reliably transferring credits really complicated.
In fact, over 70% of students lose at least half of their transfer credits. Here are a few ways you can actively prevent this from happening to your student:
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Paying For Dual Enrollment
Whether students must pay for dual enrollment and how much depend on their states dual enrollment policies and the individual programs to which they apply. McAnaney notes that most students pay out of pocket, but that shouldnt deter them. This is often a wise investment, she says. A few hundred dollars for the course is much cheaper than students would pay to take the same course at college. Its fairly common for dual enrollment programs to offer discounted or subsidized tuition to high school students, and some high schools may cover the costs of courses and books. Many ECHS dual enrollment programs are tuition free.
If students find they have to pay for tuition or for books, supplies and other fees, they may want to look into various financial aid options. Scholarships and grants may be available to dual enrollment students. For instance, the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation offers the lottery-funded Dual Enrollment Grant to Tennessee students looking to earn college credits in high school, and Cleveland State Community College offers additional dual enrollment scholarships along with the Tennessee Dual Enrollment Lottery Grant. These are excellent forms of financial aid because they dont need to be paid back. High school and college counselors should be able to point students toward available grants and scholarships, or students can check for financial aid opportunities on their dual enrollment program websites.
What If Access To Dual Enrollment Programs Is Voluntary In My State
If your district is not required to offer access to dual enrollment or similar programs, you still may be able to enroll in college courses as a high schooler. Many community colleges allow high school students and others to enroll, even if they cannot matriculate. If you are considering this step, be sure to discuss whether youll be able to receive credit with the institution before enrolling.
Its also a good idea to speak with your guidance counselor about dual enrollment options. If youve completed all the coursework your high school has to offer in a subject area and want delve further into that area, your school may have options to support your continued study in that area. For example, your school might facilitate an arrangement with a local college that offers further courses in your area of interest.
Finally, be sure to take advantage of AP and IB courses offered at your high school. AP and IB courses are specifically designed for high schoolers, offering college-level material within your high schools curriculum and campus. Remember, even if your course doesnt offer a given AP or IB course, you can still self-study for a course and take the exam. If you do well on the exam, you can still earn college credit, as long as your future college or universitys policy awards college credit for successful AP or IB exams.
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S You Need To Take To Participate In The Dual Enrollment Program
During your Junior or Senior year of high school:
Please be aware of the following important dates for SPRING 2022:
- January 7, 2022: Deadline to complete your assessment
If this is your FIRST time applying to the program, click here.
How Much Time Can I Potentially Shave Off My College Years Transferring Dual Credits
Depending on how many credits are transferred and the degree program a student is entering, between one and four semesters could be saved. Each students situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should be discussed with an admissions counselor or a representative in the registrars office.
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