Dual Credit Programs are instructional partnerships between a public secondary school district, a charter school, an Early College or Middle College High School, private secondary school or a home school and the college. Course credit is provided to high school students for both high school and college credit. College credit may be for certificate or associate degree programs. Financial aid is limited to those who have either graduated from high school or have a G.E.D.
Eligibility requirements for Dual Credit:
- To enroll in courses for an associate degree or level-two certificate program, you must present a passing score on the ACCUPLACER, ASSET, COMPASS, 11th grade exit-level TAKS or Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA or Quick THEA) in at least one area (reading, writing, or math) as deemed applicable by the college for the intended course in which you wish to enroll. Students will also be TSI (Texas Success Initiative) met in reading, writing and math when presenting passing TSI scores in each of the three areas of reading, writing and math. Students are required to meet all DCCCD course prerequisite requirements which could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements. ACCUPLACER, ASSET and Quick THEA tests are available at the college.
- Dual credit students who are in their junior or senior year of high school may receive the level-one certificate waiver or the non-degree seeking/non-certificate seeking waiver. These waivers are not made available to the Early College/Middle College High School students or to students who are seeking an associate degree or level-two certificate. Students enrolling in a level one certificate program (42 or fewer semester credit hours) that contains no Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) courses or students who are non-degree seeking or non-certificate seeking students are waived from both Dual Credit eligibility testing and TSI testing entirely unless the program has a DCCCD course prerequisite requirement. Course prerequisite requirements are usually met by taking a college assessment test to determine college-level readiness skills. Some DCCCD course prerequisites could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements.
- An 11th grade high school student is also eligible to enroll in dual credit courses by achieving a score of 2200 on Mathematics and/or a score of 2200 on English Language Arts with a writing subsection score of at least 3 on the 10th grade TAKS relevant to the courses to be attempted. An eligible high school student who has enrolled in dual credit courses in the 11th grade under this provision shall not be required to demonstrate further evidence of eligibility to enroll in dual credit courses in the 12th grade. However, such students will still need to meet the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) for higher education requirements by presenting qualifying 11th grade exit-level TAKS scores or TSI approved assessment scores or meeting TSI requirements in relevant content area(s) by receiving a grade of C or better in select college level core courses. Students are required to meet all DCCCD course prerequisite requirements which could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements.
- An 11th grade high school student is also eligible to enroll in dual credit courses by achieving a combined score of 107 on the PSAT/NMSQT with a minimum of 50 on the critical reading and/or mathematics test(s) relevant to the courses to be attempted. An eligible high school student who has enrolled in dual credit under this provision must demonstrate eligibility to enroll in dual credit courses in the 12th grade. Such students will need to meet the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) for higher education requirements by presenting qualifying 11th grade exit-level TAKS scores or TSI approved assessment scores or meeting TSI requirements in relevant content area(s) by receiving a grade of C or better in select college level core courses. Students are required to meet all DCCCD course prerequisite requirements which could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements.
- A high school student is eligible to enroll in workforce education dual credit courses in the 11th and/or 12th grade if the student demonstrates that he or she has achieved the minimum high school passing standard on the Mathematics section and/or the English/Language Arts section on the 10th or 11th grade TAKS. Such students will need to meet the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) for higher education requirements by presenting qualifying 11th grade exit-level TAKS scores or TSI approved assessment scores if required by the course, degree or certificate. Students may also meet TSI requirements in relevant content area(s) by receiving a grade of C or better in select college level core courses. Students are required to meet all DCCCD course prerequisite requirements which could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements.
- Students who do not acquire the necessary test score(s) for eligibility purposes should discuss their options with the college Dual Credit Coordinator.
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.00 on at least two college courses taken in previous semesters; or
- Prove you have passed all sections of TSI tests; or
- Prove your eligibility to be TSI exempt based upon 11th grade exit-level TAKS, ACT, or SAT as approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. If you are TSI (Texas Success Initiative) exempt or waived, you are still required to meet all DCCCD course prerequisite requirements usually by taking a college assessment test to determine college-level readiness skills. Some DCCCD course prerequisites could require a higher cut score than those outlined by the THECB TSI state minimum requirements.
- Students enrolled in Early College and Middle College High Schools (EC/MCHS) are exempt from the two dual credit courses per semester limitation. A student enrolled in EC/MCHS may enroll in more than two dual credit courses per semester and may enroll in dual credit coursework with freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior standing. Early College/Middle College course placement may be determined by the college on a limited and an individual basis.
- Early College/Middle College High School students who do not acquire the necessary test score(s) for eligibility purposes should discuss their options with the college Dual Credit Coordinator.
Score requirements can be altered by the THECB or DCCCD with the currently approved scores being used for eligibility and course placement purposes.
Eligibility for continued participation in DCCCD Dual Credit program requires satisfactory academic performance at the high school; earned grades of A, B or C in all college courses; and parental and school approval for each subsequent semester of enrollment. A student who earns grades of D or F may not be eligible for future dual credit courses or may have restrictions.
Dual Credit students must discuss with their high school counselor if they wish to withdraw from their college course(s). Students who decide to withdraw must submit the required withdrawal form to the College Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Coordinator or College Registrar by the published deadline. Only one dual credit waiver per course is allowed; student is responsible for tuition of a repeated course.
Students should take care when selecting additional courses to be transferred toward a Baccalaureate degree. House Bill 1172 allows an institution to charge the equivalent of out of state tuition for credit hours taken beyond the state limits.
State limits are:
- For students entering public Texas institutions Fall 1999 - Summer 2006 who attempt 45 hours beyond what is required for Baccalaureate degree (120 hours).
- For students entering Fall 2006 and thereafter who attempt 30 hours beyond the hours required for a Baccalaureate degree.
Academic freedom is practiced at all DCCCD Colleges and appropriate and essential discipline-specific terminology, concepts and principles are utilized as needed in the classroom setting, including within dual credit classes.