High school is the ideal time to explore what interests you and identify the skills that will set you up for your future career. Dual enrollment classes for high school students can provide a unique, challenging, and rewarding experience to help students achieve their academic and career goals.
What are Dual Enrollment Classes for High School Students?
Dual enrollment includes a variety of programs through which students are enrolled in high school and college simultaneously to earn credit toward both the high school diploma and college credit. Read on to explore some of the benefits of dual enrollment.
Benefits of Dual Enrollment
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, some of the benefits of dual enrollment include higher general academic achievement in high school and high school completion rates, college access and enrollment, college credit accumulation, and college degree attainment. In addition, high school students enrolled in dual credit courses can earn high school and college credit for the same coursework, save time and money on a college degree program, obtain a deeper understanding of academic and career fields of interest, and help prepare for college-level coursework.
Types of Dual Enrollment Programs
There are many different types of dual enrollment classes for high school students which vary by state, school and partnerships with individual colleges and universities. In Wisconsin for example, some types of dual enrollment programs involve Wisconsin Technical Colleges, Tribal Colleges, UW Colleges and Private Colleges or Universities granting the dual enrollment credit. It is important to note that unlike Advanced Placement (AP) courses, dual enrollment programs do not offer a set standard to measure whether students have mastered college-level course work. This makes it difficult for college officials to know the quality or rigor level of dual enrollment classes from other colleges. As a result, students may not receive college credit in high school unless they plan to attend the same college at which it was offered.
Deciding what type of advanced classes to take in high school can be confusing. Your school counselor can help you understand all your options. Learn more about the differences between dual enrollment and AP classes in our blog: How to Decide Between AP & Dual Enrollment Courses.
Contact eAchieve today for more information about dual enrollment opportunities and requirements.