What Is Dual Enrollment?

Imagine stepping on college campus as a freshman with courses and credits already complete. That’s what’s possible with dual enrollment. You can jumpstart your college education by taking college courses while you’re still in high school. Dual enrollment could reduce the time it takes you to earn your degree, save you money, and allow you to launch your career sooner.

How Does Dual Enrollment Work?

Dual enrollment is a special program that allows you to be enrolled in high school and take college courses at the same time. Requirements vary by state, but in South Carolina, dual enrollment classes are available to students in grades 9-12, in every county through community, technical, four-year colleges, and two-year regional campuses of the University of South Carolina. To participate, you must meet minimum qualifications:

• At least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 grading scale
• Written approval or recommendation from the high school principal or appropriate designee
• Entrance acceptance by the admitting institution. This may include a high academic standing or entrance exam scores.

There are more than 675 dual enrollment college courses. Many of those courses, including English, math, history, and psychology, satisfy the general education requirements of a college degree. Classes may be offered online, at your high school, or on the college campus. If you pass the courses that you take, you receive college credit for them.

Benefits of Dual Enrollment

• Earn High School and College Credit at the Same Time: Through dual enrollment, you can gain college credit and those same credits can be applied to your high school graduation requirements. Your high school adds the credit to your transcript and the college where you take the course creates a college transcript for you. The credits you earn count toward your first year in college.
• Access Tuition Assistance for Dual Enrollment Courses: South Carolina requires that the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program be available to dual enrollment students. Additionally, there are no minimum credit requirements to receive this financial aid.
• Earn Your Degree More Quickly: The sooner you check off core course requirements in college, the farther along you’ll be on your way to a degree. And the more college classes you take as a high school student, the more quickly you might be able to graduate college. For example, if you take freshman English while you’re in high school, that frees up a spot on your college schedule for another course, putting you ahead of your peers who didn’t take advantage of dual enrollment
• You Are More Likely to Earn Your Diploma and Degree: Recent studies on dual enrollment show that students who participate in the program are more likely to graduate from high school and earn a bachelor’s degree.  
• You May Save Money on Tuition: In addition to Lottery Tuition Assistance, you may be eligible for reduced tuition rates at a participating college.
• You’ll Be Better Prepared for College: Going to college can be an exciting experience, but you will have to learn a lot and adapt to a new environment. Through dual enrollment, you can get a head start on the learning curve. You’ll see what college classes are really like, including what assignments you’ll be asked to complete and what your professors will expect from you.
• You’ll Give Your College Application a Boost: Dual enrollment classes look good on your college application. It shows admissions officers that you are serious about your education, and that you already have what it takes to succeed in a college environment. It could help you stand out from other applicants when the competition is tough.

Are you ready to start on your college journey a little early? At Limestone University, we offer the dual enrollment program to high school students who want to explore new subject areas and earn college credit. All of our courses are taught by Limestone faculty, who have a wealth of expertise and experience in their fields. Click the button to learn more.

Request Information