Dual enrollment is a program that allows high school students to take college courses and earn credit for both high school and college. Dual enrollment can open doors to numerous opportunities for students and life after high school, but it is not for everyone. There are several types: part time, full time, online, and in-person. Although rates of students choosing dual enrollment are growing, a large group still does not know how dual enrollment works or what its pros and cons are.
So, what is the process? Well, according to the Georgia Student Financial Commission, the student must sign a student participation form, meet the admission requirements for the college, and complete the dual enrollment online funding application found in Georgia Futures. Each college’s requirements vary; however, “commonly asked questions” pages can be found when looking for dual enrollment information. And as always, high school counselors are there to help and answer questions.
Common reasons why high school students choose dual enrollment are credits and college experience. Due to students’ early exposure to college classes, the Regional Educational Laboratory Program said, “students entering college with dual credit are generally more likely to be successful in college.” This may also be linked to having credits. In addition, it is up to the university to decide what credits will be transferred, and according to Brian Boeherer, executive director of UConn’s Office of Early College Programs, credits earned in a high school dual enrollment program transferred 87% of the time. To earn credit for dual enrollment classes, a student must pass the class. If the credit is not transferable for the university, students will still receive credit for their high school courses.
Some other pros to dual enrolling are learning to balance your schedule and managing your time. Sidney Smith, a senior and fulltime/in-person dual enroller said she took this route to “better [her] mental health and start college earlier.”
Parker McKie, a junior and part time/in-person and online dual enroller, said dual enrollment is “teaching me to be more resourceful.” For McKie, dual enrollment has been an opportunity to practice being independent and creative with how he plans his days.
These students went into dual enrollment looking for college experience and credits, but they have also seen how you can grow through the independence dual enrollment provides.
Like everything else, there are cons to dual enrollment. One is the separation from parts of the high school experience. Best Colleges says that students who value the high school experiences “may experience loneliness and sadness if they have to endure extended time away from their high school friends and social circles.”
Another risk students run in when taking dual enrollment is that dual enrollment grades count as high school and college grades. This means if a student fails a dual enrollment class, it may hurt their chances of getting into specific colleges and graduating high school on time. A final con is the time and demands dual enrollment requires. Smith said, “I would not recommend it for juniors because it’s very time consuming.”
However, many students who do dual enrollment have different opinions on their experiences. McKie said that dual enrollment “frees up your day more and you work at your pace.”
There are many types of dual enrollment that students can choose from, and the process has become more user friendly as it has become more popular. Dual enrollment has shown to prepare students and teach students important lessons for their future education and careers. However, dual enrollment is not for everyone, especially for students who want to soak up the whole high school experience and those who already have a lot on their plate.
