What is dual enrollment? Earn college credit in high school

In high school, most teens are focused on earning a high school diploma. Many plan to go to college after high school. But did you know you can do both at the same time?

Dual enrollment classes let teens get ahead by earning college credit at the same time as they earn high school credit. But what is dual enrollment, exactly — and how can you get involved?

What is dual enrollment?

Dual enrollment is an educational program that allows teens to take courses that satisfy requirements for both high school and college coursework, at the same time.

For instance, a high school junior could enroll in a college-level English class that also meets the requirements of high school English classes. By taking that one class, they could earn college credit before they’ve even earned their high school diploma. 

This is why these courses are called dual credit classes sometimes. What is dual credit? It’s the same as dual enrollment — these programs can go by different names and have different requirements, depending on where you live. This may also be called concurrent enrollment, Running Start in a few states, or another state-specific name.

Many dual enrollment classes are taken on college campuses or offered online. Typically, these classes are offered by local community colleges. Participating high schools will have partnerships with local colleges to help their students earn credits.

Dual enrollment students will typically attend both their high school campus and a local college campus. For example, a student might have English, history, and physical education at their high school in the morning, followed by Spanish and algebra at a nearby community college in the afternoon.

When students complete coursework, they’ll be awarded college credit which will later show up on their college transcripts. And because those courses also satisfy high school requirements, the courses will also show up on high school transcripts (and apply toward graduation).

What’s the point of dual enrollment?

Now that you know what dual enrollment is, you can see that participating in a dual enrollment program offers a lot of perks. Some key benefits of dual enrollment include:

• It helps save you time in working toward a college degree.

• It helps save you and your parents money (because it’s typically much cheaper to earn college credits through dual enrollment, compared to standard college credits — and it may even be free in some areas).

• It looks good on college applications, as schools can see you took the initiative to get the early college experience.

• It helps you avoid “doubling up,” which happens when you study similar subjects in both high school and college.

• It helps you tackle prerequisites for your target degree program in college before you even leave high school.

• You’ll also continue to work toward high school graduation requirements at the same time.

• You’ll be able to gain some college experience and prepare for college before leaving high school.

Ultimately, if you take full advantage of dual enrollment, you could graduate high school with a good chunk of college credit — and perhaps even an associate degree (or close to one).

This not only saves you time, but it also saves you and your family a bunch of money. Plus, you get a preview of college life, and the opportunity to leave your high school campus and do some cool stuff!

How do I get involved in dual enrollment classes?

The first step is to figure out the requirements for dual enrollment in your state and at your high school. The easiest way to do this is to ask a school counselor.

You can also check this guide to state-level dual enrollment requirements. Each state, and even some individual school districts, have their own requirements for dual enrollment.

In general, most states require that students be at a certain grade level (often juniors and seniors) and maintain a certain GPA in order to enroll in college courses.

For instance, many states require that you are at least a junior in high school and have a current GPA of at least 3.0. But again, the rules vary! Some states also have programs for homeschool students.

Once you’re enrolled in a program, you’ll work with counselors (at your high school, the college, or both) to enroll in the proper college classes. And then you’ll start attending classes at the college (or online) while continuing to take high school classes at your school.

Keep in mind that you’ll now be enrolled in college-level classes. They’re likely to be more difficult than standard high school classes and may require more of a time commitment for homework. Testing requirements will also likely be different. For instance, college exams tend to have fewer true/false and multiple-choice questions and more questions that require written answers.

Talk to your school counselor if you have any questions about your school’s dual enrollment opportunities. 

How much does dual enrollment cost?

Each state has its own program for dual enrollment. Some states make the program entirely free, but most charge students a small amount to take college courses. For instance, you might have to pay between $50 and $400 per class.

Still, that’s much cheaper than normal college courses, which on average cost $1,170 per class. And, fortunately, some schools have waiver programs for low-income students and their families.

Because these dual enrollment programs cost less than a typical college class would, they can save families a lot of money on college costs and potentially even help students pay for college without student loans. Planning ahead and using a 529 plan to save for college, combined with utilizing dual enrollment classes, can really help to make college more affordable.

Is dual enrollment the same as advanced placement (AP) classes?

Both dual enrollment and advanced placement (AP) classes offer college-level coursework, and both can help you earn college credit. However, there are some differences.

AP classes are typically taught at high schools. They’re still intended to be college-level classes, but they’re organized by the high school and taught by high school teachers. You’ll only find other high schoolers taking AP classes.

Dual enrollment classes are generally taught at colleges (usually community colleges). They are actual college courses, taught by college professors and attended by both high school dual enrollment students and college students.

Also, AP students will be required to take a standardized test at the end of the course. They must achieve a certain score on the test in order to earn college credit. 

On the other hand, dual enrollment classes will also typically have tests, but you should be able to earn college credit as long as you earn a passing grade in your class. Just keep in mind that some colleges require a certain grade in classes in order for that credit to transfer — so check with the college or university that you plan to go to, or ask your school counselor. 

Dual enrollment helps teens get ahead.

For motivated students, dual enrollment is an excellent way to get a jump-start on your college career — and help save you and your family money in the long run. Plus, it’s pretty cool to be able to visit a campus and experience a bit of college life early.

Now that you know what dual enrollment is, this is a perfect time to plan ahead and think about college savings. It’s a good idea to talk with your parents about paying for college, qualifying for financial aid, and all the other not-so-fun stuff involved with paying for the cost of higher education. (Parents can also use the Greenlight Family Cash card to start saving for college.)

Now is also a good time to start thinking about ways that you can make money in your spare time, while also learning how to manage your money. Talk to your parents about Greenlight, the all-in-one money app for teens. Greenlight comes with a debit card, plus tools for saving, investing, budgeting, and learning more about money. Try one month of Greenlight — our treat.