Dual or Concurrent Enrollment?

[Heather in WI]

How does Dual/Concurrent Enrollment work in your state?

 

In Wisconsin, public school students can enroll in college classes (and receive college textbooks) for free, but homeschool students have to pay full price.

 

I understand this in theory because, as it was put to me by my state legislator, "this is consistent with having to pay for one’s family’s own homeschooling curriculum and textbooks – when the parents of a public school child do not directly bear that expense."

 

But, it still makes me really mad because if my boys were in our local school system they wouldn't need the college classes!!! Our local public schools are so atrocious that the test scores for reading, math, and science are some of the lowest in the country! I've paid property taxes for my failing public schools for 10 years plus borne all of the costs of educating our boys at home. It feels like a no win situation. If we crossed over the county line (which we can't afford), we could have our children attend amazing public schools where they would most certainly receive educations that prepared them for dual-enrollment. Grrr.

 

I realize that it is not relevant for me just yet; my oldest child is in 5th grade. However, our oldest ds is currently completing a 7th grade math program and if he continues the math sequence that he is currently on, he will be doing Pre-Calculus in 8th grade! In plotting out his high school course work, I realized quickly that he will be beyond my level at that point. I'm starting to panic about high school already!

 

Anyway, I'm wondering, is common in most states? I'm starting to be so envious of those whose states allow homeschoolers to participate in varsity sports and dual enrollment!

Edited January 27, 2011 by Heather in WI

[FloridaLisa]

In Florida, dual enrollment is free for public, private or home educated students. The only difference is that public school students can get reimbursement for their textbooks, while private and home school students must purchase their own. I feel so fortunate with our homeschooling laws in Florida that I really have no problem with the textbooks.

 

Lisa

[AnitaMcC]

As far as I know in our school district... dual courses every one pays. At least this is how it was a few years ago when I looked into it.

 

But AP courses in ps are free and for some students (lower income) can take the AP exam free.

 

Actually our ps isn't free. We still pay enrollment fees. If I remember correctly... my twins for 9th grade would have cost us $250 for each. We pay $100 for our elementary grades, and $175 for middle school.

[Mom22ns]

In Missouri dual enrollment is only free for ps kids. I feel very annoyed with that, but will probably still use the local CC for some classes the last couple of years of high school.

[MicheleinMN]

Dual Enrollment called PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Option) is available to high school juniors and seniors only and only those with a certain gpa. All PSEO students are required to return their textbooks, but they are allowed to write in them.

 

HTH

[Dmmetler]

Not officially free for anyone (except possibly for some special programs. I know there's a "college high school", but I don't know if the kids are doing college courses or if they're just on a college campus), but there is state scholarship money that pays almost all of the cost of taking classes at a state college up to X credits per year, assuming the ACT meets the minimum, and realistically, if you're doing dual enrollment, you've got the ACT to qualify.

[AngieW in Texas]

I answered "other" because it depends on the cc district in Texas.

 

In my district, any high school student (hs or ps) who has completed 10th grade can take up to 2 courses free each semester. After the student has completed 12 hours with a GPA of at least 3.5 and if the student has SAT/ACT or COMPASS scores that are high enough, then the student can ask for permission to take more than just 2 courses. The first 2 courses are still free, but the others must be paid for. If the student is at ps, then she has to get permission from the guidance counselor at the school (and the principal too, I think).

[NCMom]

When we first moved here it was free, then only math, science and tech were free. (I think) Now apparently, dual enrollment in this state end this semester. So the CC and the local PS high schools say, anyway.

Georgia

[NCMom]

c

Edited January 28, 2011 by Georgia in NC

[Sunshine State Sue]

In Florida, dual enrollment is free for public, private or home educated students. The only difference is that public school students can get reimbursement for their textbooks, while private and home school students must purchase their own. I feel so fortunate with our homeschooling laws in Florida that I really have no problem with the textbooks.

 

I feel fortunate as well, but the textbook issue irks me anyway.

 

One other difference, at least in our county, is that homeschoolers and private schoolers may dual enroll starting in 10th grade. Public schoolers must wait until 11th grade. That's probably because the public schools are so ... but I won't go down that path right now.

[Ellie]

I had to vote "other" because there's no set policy in California.

 

I believe that concurrent enrollment is not funded at all community colleges, but where it is, private school students (which is what homeschoolers are, there being no homeschool statutes in California) can take classes free of charge, although the number of classes they can take is limited.

 

There are also some where young students can take c.c. classes as "student under 18 not enrolled in high school." In that case they pay the same tuition as "regular" students, they earn college credit, and they can take as many classes as they can handle. (Concurrent-enrolled students don't earn college credit--they earn high school credit; when they graduate, they have to take classes that equal the credits they earned as high school students...unless this has changed since my dc were there.)

[lagirl]

Louisiana

 

Free for public school students, homeschool students pay full price.

[oldskool]

Free for all students in MN. It is called PSEO. It covers tuition, fees, books, and supplies (such as for art) needed for the course. A great deal!

 

Lesley

[Miss Marple]

It's free for all students *who meet the requirements*. There are ACT score requirements as well as age requirements that must be met. But it doesn't matter if one is public/private/or homeschooled. Tuition is free, but the student pays fees and purchases books.

[Irene Lynn]

I replied "other". Here the high schools (at least in our city) can offer some dual enrollment classes on their own campus that will count as a course taken at a particular cc. Those classes are free. If you go outside the box and take classes on the actual cc campus, you would have to pay.

 

Our foreign exchange student took a dual enrollment engineering class last year. It was one of her easiest classes. She did great all through the year and really enjoyed it, but the last test was a killer. I am thinking that the last test covered what would have been taught at an actual campus class. If the material would have been presented, this girl would have done well. She was a very capable student. As it was she failed it soundly. That brought her high A down a lot. She never had any homework for that class. Oh, wait, she was supposed to find a couple of objects to bring in for a project, but that was it. In my opinion it was not the same as a class taken on the campus, yet she would have gotten credit. It was also different in that the campus class would have taken 1 semester, but this class took all year. But it was free.

 

My dd took two on campus classes last semester and they involved real work and a different level of interaction, since most of the students were older. It wasn't free, but she had more class options and it was a stronger class than a free one would have been.

[Keniki]

In Illinois it varies. Costs depend on the agreement between the college and the high school. Usually, the high school pays for the class as long as it is something not offered by the high school. This would make it free to the student. For homeschooled students though, the "high school" is the parents, so the parents pay for the class(es).

[Photo Ninja]

In CA there is concurrent enrollment, but details vary based on the community college. In my area, with several different community colleges, any student in 10th grade or above can do concurrent enrollment with permission of a school administrator (a parent if hsed because hsers are considered as private schools). The administrator must preapprove the courses the student wants to take, and the application process must be completed each semester. Few public school students do concurrent enrollment because the ps won't let a student take a cc course if the ps offers it. A student can take up to 11 college credits each semester in any course where he meets the pre-requisites. For math, English and chemistry this means the student must take a placement test and begin taking courses where the test places them. There is no tuition charge for the courses, but the student pays about $20 in fees each semester and must pay for books. The teachers don't know the students are concurrent enrollment students unless the student tells them or the students look young and the instructor makes the assumption. The concurrent enrollment student earns college credits and also gets high school credits at the same time if the high school wants to accept those credits. Hsers, or course, do this.

 

While this is an excellent way for high school students to earn college credits and save a lot of money in tuition, right now it is difficult for them to actually get into classes. Concurrent enrollment students have the latest registration dates and most classes are filled by then. Several years ago it didn't matter and students could get the classes they wanted. Because of budget cuts and more people going to the cc, a couple years ago it started getting difficult to get classes. This year we don't know any concurrent enrollment students who were able to get into classes. Pretty much the only way they can is to show up to the first couple classes and try to add, but the instructors usually add students by their priority registration numbers, which means the concurrent enrollment students are last to be added. Sometimes an instructor is nice and lets in all the students trying to add the course.

 

Some cc districts only allow 12th graders to do concurrent enrollment, some allow 11th and 12th graders only, and others allow 10th - 12th graders. Some limit the courses the concurrent enrollment student can take. Whatever policy applies, it is an excellent way for high school students, usually private school or hsed students (hsing as private schools) to earn college credits while still in high school. We know many students who graduated from high school with anywhere from 15 credits to an AA degree. It all depended on how many classes they wanted to take and could enroll in. As long as the student takes the courses that are guaranteed to transfer to UC, Cal State or CA private universities, their college credits transfer. My dc's cc credits transferred to out of state universities, too.

[mamakim]

Washington State here . . .

 

Free for public/private/homeschool, 15 credit hours per term, but the student does need to pass an entry exam (basic reading/math) initially and maintain a certain GPA while in the program. Everyone pays for textbooks, but some CC's have some low-income programs for loaner texts.

 

Homeschool parents act as high school "advisor" for students and sign off on course choices.

[Heather in WI]

Thank you all so much for your replies!

 

I've had a little back and forth with the assistant to my state representative about this. She was very surprised that other states allow homeschooled students to participate for free. She asked:

 

 

I would be VERY interested if you could send me some data about the students in other states. As the Youth Options and High School Special programs are identical and do allow both public and homeschooled students to attend if their school of origin pays tuition- where does the funding come from in other states?

 

 

 

Again, I apologize for not having any answers and sounding rather pessimistic. We would love more information about how this may possibly become legislation and be enacted, but the issue of ‘where’s the money†is a sticky one which the High School Special program did attempt to address (but which, of course, leaves the financial responsibility to the family.)

 

 

If your state does allow homeschooled students to participate for free, would you please post a link to your relevant state law or any other pertinent information? I would be much obliged. :)

[choirfarm]

I answered "other" because it depends on the cc district in Texas.

 

In my district, any high school student (hs or ps) who has completed 10th grade can take up to 2 courses free each semester. After the student has completed 12 hours with a GPA of at least 3.5 and if the student has SAT/ACT or COMPASS scores that are high enough, then the student can ask for permission to take more than just 2 courses. The first 2 courses are still free, but the others must be paid for. If the student is at ps, then she has to get permission from the guidance counselor at the school (and the principal too, I think).

 

REALLY?? I'll have to ask if Kilgore college does that.

 

Christine

[Jann in TX]

In Texas it depends on your taxing region...

 

My small town does not pay into the CC tax so my daughters have to pay an out of district FEE ($40 per class with a 2 class per semester limit).

 

The state of Texas DOES subsidize this program.

 

If we lived just one mile north then we would be in a different taxing region (district) and Dual enrollment would be FREE (except for books)--no fees either. Also full time tuition would be more than HALF what we are now paying for oldest dd (about $2500 per semester full time-- in-district it would be around $1000).

[Lori D.]

I had to vote "other".

In southern AZ: everyone pays -- EXCEPT any student (public, private, homeschooled) who enrolls in the free state-wide program which allows high school students to take specific technical training courses at the local community college for free. This is only for certain intro-level classes in such tech fields as: automotive tech, construction, cosmetology, culinary arts, fire science, graphic design, and precision manufacturing.


Any other classes (writing, math, foreign language, science, etc.) that a high school student might wish to take for dual enrollment must be paid for at full price. However, that DOES allow you to "double dip" (i.e., count it as both high school AND college credit simultaneously).

[tex-mex]

I answered "other" because it depends on the cc district in Texas.

 

In my district, any high school student (hs or ps) who has completed 10th grade can take up to 2 courses free each semester. After the student has completed 12 hours with a GPA of at least 3.5 and if the student has SAT/ACT or COMPASS scores that are high enough, then the student can ask for permission to take more than just 2 courses. The first 2 courses are still free, but the others must be paid for. If the student is at ps, then she has to get permission from the guidance counselor at the school (and the principal too, I think).

:iagree: In our area, this is the rule. Legally, the OP's child (as an 8th grader) could not attend the community college until they are in the 11th grade or age 15 in our district. They will need to show evidence of SAT/ACT or TAKS testing to pass out of the community college testing for placement. Then the student can only take one class per semester the first year and then 2 classes a semester the following year. Most dual enrollment students end up taking English the first class in my experience.

 

Personally, if the OP's child is that bright... why not just enroll them in a regular university and bypass the cc rule for calculus?? Pay for the class. Just a thought.