For parents of high school students, the thought of your child going to college can bring on a laundry list of questions – How do I know they’re ready for college-level work? When should we start applying to schools? How am I going to afford tuition?
If you’re feeling anxious about your child jumping head-first into college life, planning ahead with a dual enrollment program may be a good way to smooth the transition for everyone – plus there are some real benefits that you and your child can both enjoy!
What is Dual Enrollment?
Dual enrollment is a program in which a high school student enrolls in a college course and receives credit both at the collegiate level and at the high school level for successful completion. Courses are offered in a variety of formats - online, face to face on the college campus, and sometimes instruction is even given onsite at high schools.
Most public and private postsecondary institutions have special admission requirements and registration guidelines for dual enrollment, so be sure to check those out at the school in which you are considering enrollment.
So – now that you know WHAT dual enrollment is, you may be wondering WHY it’s such a good idea. Well, here are 5 reasons we think it’s such a smart move.
1. A Smooth College Transition
For some students, the rigor of college-level course work can be a shock at first. By easing into college courses during high school, students are able to experience a real college class and develop the skills required to be successful before leaving the comforts of home and high school.
2. Increased Access to Advanced Classes
Some high schools are not able to offer as many advanced placement (AP) courses as they would like. By dual enrolling in an online college course, your child can be challenged with advanced curriculum, which will reflect positively on transcripts when applying for full enrollment to colleges. Plus, with dual enrollment, you do not have to score highly on one test to receive college credit as is required in AP courses. If you pass the class, you get the credit.
3. Graduate from College Faster
Many people start thinking about dual enrollment in their child’s senior year – but you can enroll as early as sophomore year. If a student begins a dual enrollment program early enough – he or she could graduate from high school with enough credits to be classified as a college sophomore! That can shorten the time to complete a bachelor’s degree by up to two years. Now THAT is what we call getting ahead!
4. Encourage Collegiate Success
Statistics show that dual enrolled students’ GPAs after two years of college were significantly higher than those students who did not participate in dual enrollment classes.
5. Save on College Tuition
With college tuition on the rise annually, this is one of the most common concerns of parents. Here in Georgia, high school students have access to the ACCEL Program, which is a non-need based grant for students that wish to take college level coursework for credit towards both high school and college graduation requirements. Students are eligible all four years of high school – not just junior and senior year. And the best part? ACCEL award amounts do NOT count toward the maximum number of hours eligible for Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship! For more information about Georgia’s Accel Program, visit www.GAcollege411.com.
Now that you know why dual enrollment programs are so great, it’s time to get started on the HOW. With busy high school schedules, online classes are a great option. Through the University System of Georgia’s eCore program the state’s college core curriculum is now offered completely online through 14 colleges and universities.
To learn more about online dual enrollment through eCore, visit ecore.usg.edu. We’d love to talk to you and answer any questions you have! Request information here, or call us anytime at 1.866.93ECORE.
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