DE Questions.....Age at enrollment issues?

[Ameena]

This is all years away for us, but I was working on long range planning for DD & doing a little researching into Dual Enrollment. 

 

Has anyone run in to a age requirement for DE? I found this on our local DE website - " In accordance with Alamo Colleges policy, all students that take classes on any Alamo Colleges Campus must be at least 16 years of age by the start of the academic year in which they enroll. This includes internet based courses. Juniors and Seniors can take up to two college courses (6 to 8 credit hours)and Sophomores one college course (3 to 4 credit hours) for FREE, per fall and spring semester. "

 

The issue is DD's birthday is in mid-September. The academic year starts mid-August. It sounds like she would miss out on an entire two years of DE due to her age - is that right? At age 16, she'll be a Jr {if she doesn't accelerate}. So she would only be able to 1 one year of DE - her SR. year, according to this policy.

 

Has anyone successfully managed to get an exemption to a policy like this? The long range plan was for DD to take as much of her basics via DE as possible, so as to take advantage of the free college credits.

[GailV]

Huh, around here requirements like that are on a semester basis, so she'd miss out on fall semester but be okay for spring.  For that matter, at least one school has the requirement that you be 16 by the end of the semester, so she'd be okay for fall, too.

 

How many years away are you from this being an issue?  Is this the only DE possibility you have? Also, is it typical for a mid-September birthday to be in the grade level you have her in?

 

[Ameena]

Huh, around here requirements like that are on a semester basis, so she'd miss out on fall semester but be okay for spring.  For that matter, at least one school has the requirement that you be 16 by the end of the semester, so she'd be okay for fall, too.

 

How many years away are you from this being an issue?  Is this the only DE possibility you have? Also, is it typical for a mid-September birthday to be in the grade level you have her in?

 

She will be officially be in 3rd this fall, but is doing more of a 3rd/4th combo - as I said this is long range planning :) I was trying to lay out our plans for middle/high school so as to allow me to pick up the books graduadually used & on paperbackswap, and jumped over to look at DE to tentatively plan out.

 

I really don't know what else is out there besides DE - DE is what everyone does here it seems. It is such a great deal since it is free - it's about $1000 value per semester currently. For our family, that is a sizable amount. FWIW, from looking at the website I don't think graduating her early & doing regular enrollment would be an option, as they want non-DE students to be 18 at enrollment. So same issue again. Personally I think it's nuts - I was 17 when I enrolled full time {13 credit hours} in CC myself, so all theses rules & credit hour limits make no sense to me.

 

She is a grade ahead per her birthday - cutoff here for PS is Sept 1st, hers is Sept 12th. I have toyed with the idea of doing a gap year or two so she could take full advantage of DE & also have time to work through all the SL cores. But I don't know if that would help or hinder her when it comes to applying for a university {not Community College, which is what DE is through}.

 

ETA: Here, DE is only through the Community Colleges which are all part of the Alamo Colleges network. We have 2 large public unis locally and 3 large private unis locally. None of those do DE I believe {unless it's a very well kept secret}

[PuddleJumper1]

Here we have a class standing requirement. Our community college allows for hs sophomores to take DE classes while the majority require them to be junior standing.

[SkateLeft]

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[Lori D.]

This is all years away for us, but I was working on long range planning for DD & doing a little researching into Dual Enrollment. .. must be at least 16 years of age by the start of the academic year in which they enroll. This includes internet based courses. Juniors and Seniors can take up to two college courses (6 to 8 credit hours)and Sophomores one college course (3 to 4 credit hours) for FREE, per fall and spring semester. "

 

The issue is DD's birthday is in mid-September. The academic year starts mid-August. It sounds like she would miss out on an entire two years of DE due to her age...

 

No, I don't think she'd miss two years. The 2 classes of the sophomore year, yes. But she can likely petition for the junior year, and at worst, enroll for the Spring semester of the junior year, as she would be 16yo then.

 

For example, our community college (CC) allows 16yo as the minimum with no extra hoop-jumping, and as young as 14yo with some extra hoop-jumping; however that policy is stated up front as part of the dual enrollment policy. Since your CC's policy doesn't mention that I would assume that is not part of the policy. But, it never hurts to ask! :)

 

 

I notice that you are quite a few years away from this, so, honestly, I don't think I would worry too much. Colleges have a way of changing policies regularly. For example, CA is getting so many returning adults to the CCs that they are limiting high school dual enrollment to either just 7 credits (2 classes), or in some cases, none at all. Or, the funding for state supported dual enrollment may get cut and you'll no longer have an option for free dual enrollment… So, dual enrollment may no longer even be an option for your family by the time you get there. 

 

If, as you approach that time, unlimited dual enrollment paid for by the state still IS an option, then just readjust your DD's grade and have her diploma reflect graduation that is a semester or a year later (whichever gives you the dual enrollment benefit you need/want). Homeschoolers here frequently are done with home studies of high school by the time their student is 16 or 17, and the student participates in the homeschool group graduation, BUT, the family holds off on giving the diploma until the following year (or two), so the student can continue with full-time dual enrollment and the benefits therein. Not a big deal! :)

 

In fact, you may find that when you get there that DD isn't ready for dual enrollment or doesn't want to do it, or that it doesn't even fit in with her future plans and your family goals. Or, you may have moved to a different state with different CC options. Or some other better opportunity will have popped up and "trump" your family's desire or need for dual enrollment… Endless possibilities...

 

Try not to worry or panic. Just do your best to do a little monthly saving for college now as you can; start looking for scholarships in the middle and high school years. Most of all, focus on helping DD be a solid student, and accomplish your family goals for her education AND for life prep without letting dual enrollment encroach on any of that right now. It will all become clearer the closer to the time your DD is ready for dual enrollment.   :) BEST of luck in your homeschooling adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Lori D.]

I was trying to lay out our plans for middle/high school so as to allow me to pick up the books graduadually used & on paperbackswap, and jumped over to look at DE to tentatively plan out.

 

Kudos to you for researching, organizing, and working ahead! :) One caution: While reading books are fine, I'd be very carefully buying curriculum THAT far ahead. One to two years in advance of the current grade level is pretty safe. But way too often, plans change, new and better-fitting options are published, and esp. the student's needs change. Then you're sitting on material you're not going to use that is now REALLY old and just about impossible to resell. Ask me how I know this… :(

[chiguirre]

I'm guessing you're in Texas. If Alamo doesn't work out, try the next community college district over and see if that works for you. They each seem to have different rules. For example, Lonestar doesn't offer free classes, but you can DE at 16 (and even earlier if you ask the right people and jump through the right hoops). San Jacinto offers special DE classes for high schoolers on their campus. Humble ISD has a special "early college" high school where all the credits are free but you have to jump through a lot of hoops. It just depends and it's worth shopping around.

[kiana]

While it's smart to keep this on your radar, your dd may totally change by the time she hits high school. I wouldn't worry about it until she's 1-2 years away from needing it.

 

More stuff is getting published and/or updated every year, so while buying books for english/humanities is perfectly reasonable (a good home library is a wonderful thing), I wouldn't worry about picking up math too far in advance, and I'd actively avoid picking up science books until you guys are a little closer to using them.

 

As far as 'gap years', quite honestly, there's *nothing* wrong with being a hs junior who has already completed the hs requirements and is now dual enrolling. The universities will see only a student who has done accelerated coursework. They don't need to see whether you (on paper only) repeated 8th grade while doing 9th grade coursework or even higher, or whatever.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

She will be officially be in 3rd this fall, but is doing more of a 3rd/4th combo - as I said this is long range planning :) I was trying to lay out our plans for middle/high school so as to allow me to pick up the books graduadually used & on paperbackswap, and jumped over to look at DE to tentatively plan out.

 

I really don't know what else is out there besides DE - DE is what everyone does here it seems. It is such a great deal since it is free - it's about $1000 value per semester currently. For our family, that is a sizable amount. FWIW, from looking at the website I don't think graduating her early & doing regular enrollment would be an option, as they want non-DE students to be 18 at enrollment. So same issue again. Personally I think it's nuts - I was 17 when I enrolled full time {13 credit hours} in CC myself, so all theses rules & credit hour limits make no sense to me.

 

She is a grade ahead per her birthday - cutoff here for PS is Sept 1st, hers is Sept 12th. I have toyed with the idea of doing a gap year or two so she could take full advantage of DE & also have time to work through all the SL cores. But I don't know if that would help or hinder her when it comes to applying for a university {not Community College, which is what DE is through}.

 

ETA: Here, DE is only through the Community Colleges which are all part of the Alamo Colleges network. We have 2 large public unis locally and 3 large private unis locally. None of those do DE I believe {unless it's a very well kept secret}

 

I think this is something that you should just file away in the back of your head for now. Six years is a very long time in education. You might find that you will want to start high school more with her age peers. You might find that online options make more sense, or that you're having too much fun to want to start dual enrollment. Or you might find that the CC has changed the age limit by the time she reaches that point. Or that the CC isn't registering any dual enrollment students because of budget cuts.

 

I once sat down and drafted out a plan of what math courses my older sons would take through high school - when they were in 1st and 2nd grade - based on their pace through Saxon K-3.  I really wish I still had that sheet of paper. I remember posting on the old, old WTM boards that I was concerned that I might run out of math for them to do, because they were on track to finish calculus midway through high school.

 

The actual questions I have, now that highschool is a present reality are far different than what I had forecast.

 

So I'd say it's good that you now know it might be an issue. But don't let it be something that overly worries you.

 

And as someone else pointed out, it's a question of access for one semester, not a full year. She could take one semester courses. Or if she needs/wants a course that is typically a two semester progression, she could look at second semester and the summer.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Kudos to you for researching, organizing, and working ahead! :) One caution: While reading books are fine, I'd be very carefully buying curriculum THAT far ahead. One to two years in advance of the current grade level is pretty safe. But way too often, plans change, new and better-fitting options are published, and esp. the student's needs change. Then you're sitting on material you're not going to use that is now REALLY old and just about impossible to resell. Ask me how I know this… :(

 

I've had a similar experience. I have many books that I bought, because I was sure they would be just the thing - someday. But when that someday arrived, they weren't really what I needed for that kid at that moment.

 

What I have worked on picking up are just wonderful books. Fiction and non-fiction that will be read and enjoyed. But not necessarily textbooks.

 

(OK, if you find Dolciani math books, you have my permission to buy those years in advance.)

[lmrich]

I would not look to far into the future...rules and regulations change.

[EndOfOrdinary]

In our state, it is by school standing that DE funding is provided.  My son is much like your daughter in having a late birthday, however our charter school (when we belonged) accellerated him.  That means he will not be of the same age group as his other grade peers.  He can get DE funding, but must not violate the rules of the specific college.  I do not know the policy in Texas, that is the policy in Washington.

Many colleges also offer exemptions when the time comes.  It would require a meeting with the admissions office and a exemption request for her age.  Since she is only missing by couple weeks, it might very well be possible.

[Little Women]

Our community college requires them to be 16, and states that they make "no exceptions, unless the student has exhausted all other possible courses available anywhere else."    I have not asked them about my 7th grader with a 29 ACT composite and 34 in reading, but the way they word it, I'm pretty doubtful.

 

However, our local 4-year university allows them at any age, "after their freshman year of high school."    I would think that Biology and Algebra 1 would be ample proof of finishing a "freshman level."    

 

If there are any other colleges around you, you might try them.  If the money for the other school comes from the state, as is likely, any other college might offer the same deal.   

 

Also, don't forget that college is done by semester, so she could do the spring semester after her birthday, as well.

 

[DonHomeschool]

Ameena,

 

I don’t know how it works at your local community college, but my local community college gave my daughter an exception after enrolling at another out-of-county community college.  However, that exception came with a price difference in tuition.  That is, instead of paying less than $170 per course for dual enrollment, we were charged “regular tuition†at approximately $475 per course.  I guess I cannot complain because their age minimum restriction is also 16 years old and I had them give us an exemption for my child that is only 12 years old.

 

In your case, I agree with some members of this board that an exemption will probably be given.  Continue to research, plan, and analyze your options to be better prepared for any challenges that you may face in getting the exemption.  Good luck.

[creekland]

Our cc has 16 as the minimum and will not make an exception even for a super high ACT.  We also pay full price.

 

But you are years away.  Who knows what will change by then...

 

Definitely don't buy science curricula early.  So much in science changes as we learn more.  We're forever addressing corrections in our classes at our ps, and the books aren't that old.