Dual Enrolment Programs

Dual enrollment can give students the chance to strengthen their education by enrolling in college courses earlier. In addition, dual-enrollment programs expose students to the rigors of college courses early, and recent research has shown that students who enroll in dual-enrollment programs are more likely to pursue college degrees. The increased rigors of dual-enrollment classes may also prepare students to take harder classes, and may aid in their chances of being accepted into more prestigious schools.

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Dual-enrollment classes typically only run one semester, meaning students get college credit for taking one class in half the typical school year. Dual Enrollment is a enrichment opportunity for middle/homeschool students to earn college credit for courses taken through NOVA while they are still in high school. Students who are accepted early into full-time/dual enrollment enroll for 12-15 credits per term and receive credits which count towards both graduating from high school and earning an undergraduate degree. Students must have completed, prior to Early Admission, at least six semesters of full-time, secondary (grades 9-11) enrollment.

?Courses should be chosen by the student in consultation with his/her high school guidance counselor or principal (unless homeschooled) and with an administration for concurrent dual-enrollment at the university. After completing tests and prerequisites, students are registered for selected courses by filing a course request form with the appropriate high school office by the relevant deadline. AP students are required to take the standardized exam at the end of their high school year and achieve the minimum scores, determined by the colleges they attend, in order to be awarded credit. Upon graduation from high school, if students are not attending the same college or university from which they earned their Dual Enrollment credits, application of the transferred credits toward general education, prerequisites, and major programs can differ at the receiving institution.

?A study from the University of Texas found students who earned Dual Enrollment credits were twice as likely to stay in school than students who entered college without any credits.