Homeschool Dual Enrollment Earn College Credit While Homeschooling
Learn about the benefits of homeschool dual enrollment and how it can help you obtain college credit while your homeschooled students and children continue to engage in homeschooling. Dual enrollment is a program that homeschoolers can use to earn college credit and participate in Homeschool Dual Enrollment Earn College Credit While Homeschooling.
It's pretty common for students to build up college credits while they're still in high school, regardless of whether they're homeschooled or attend public or private school. Many families choose to homeschool for college credit by taking advantage of dual enrollment programs and utilizing testing options to earn college credit, like AP courses. (And yes, you can take AP courses as a homeschooled student!)
Getting college credits while homeschooling in high school can help you save money on college courses that you would otherwise have to take later on. It can also improve your high school transcript as a homeschooler.
Benefits of Dual enrollment for Academics
Community colleges are well-equipped to cater to the needs of homeschool students in a variety of ways. It's totally possible for students to take college-level classes at community college while still homeschooling in their usual way.
At community colleges, there may be varying policies regarding the minimum age for participating in dual enrollment programs. Additionally, some colleges may have specific requirements for placement tests, typically in math and language arts. It's important for home educators to research the regulations specific to their local community college, as these requirements can differ from state to state.
Students can earn both high school and college credit at the same time by taking courses at the community college through a dual enrollment program. Let's say a student is enrolled in English 101: Introduction to Composition at a community college. This class would fulfill their high school English requirement for either 11th or 12th grade, and it would be included on their high school homeschool transcript.
Colleges readily accept this practice, as they also observe it among public school students. Usually, if a student is dual-enrolled in community college, they can receive one full high school credit for completing a one-semester college course.
It's great to see how this opportunity allows students to save money by getting a head start on college classes that would be more expensive at a university later on. It's pretty impressive how certain students manage to cut down their time at university by a whole semester or even up to two years. And the best part? They also save a ton of money in the process.
In addition, when homeschooled high schoolers excel in their dual-enrollment community college courses, four-year colleges and universities can see tangible proof of their readiness to thrive in a college setting. It's a major advantage when applying to four-year institutions.
Community college classes are a great resource for homeschoolers looking to fulfill college requirements. They offer a solution for homeschool parents who may need or want to outsource challenging high school classes. This could include languages that the parent doesn't speak or lab sciences that require specialized equipment or expertise.
Some four-year universities and colleges may waive certain admission requirements if a student has earned a significant number of dual enrollment credits from a community college. This often includes an exemption from submitting ACT or SAT scores, although there may be exceptions. Did you know that certain four-year institutions will waive all general education requirements if a student transfers in with an associate's degree from a community college? It's a great opportunity to save time and money!
Many Illinois community colleges, just like in other states, have guaranteed admission agreements with several four-year institutions. It's great that students have the opportunity to start taking required community college classes for guaranteed admissions programs even while they are still homeschooling in high school. Students in guaranteed admission programs must stay on top of their courses and deadlines.
Let's talk about semesters.
Did you know that dual enrollment at a community college can also be referred to as concurrent enrollment or dual credit? There can sometimes be confusion between dual credit, dual enrollment, and concurrent enrollment, as these terms may be mistaken for part-time enrollment or attendance, which typically refers to taking courses at a public high school while homeschooling. Did you know that in certain states, teenagers have the opportunity to attend public school part-time and take dual enrollment courses that count for college credit? It's a great way for them to get a head start on their education! Public school students at the community college my children have attended are referred to as dual credit, while homeschooled students are known as dual enrollment. For some reason, the school seems to take great pride in this.
When you decide to enroll in community college, it's important to keep in mind that your college courses and final grades will be recorded in a permanent transcript. This transcript will stay with you throughout your academic journey, so it's crucial to feel confident and prepared before taking the plunge.
The advantages of participating in dual-enrollment programs extend beyond academic growth. And of course, dual enrollment in community college can be extremely beneficial for homeschool students as they navigate the transition to college. They gain valuable experience and knowledge as well. They learn to read a course syllabus, to deal with class attendance and grading policies, to study from more challenging textbooks, to attend classes on a college campus with college students and have a chance to participate in class discussions and group projects at a higher level education system.
These experiences are reminiscent of engaging conversations and collaborative projects found in homeschool co-ops and homeschool classes, albeit with a more advanced focus.
What's another advantage? Similar to students in public schools who dual enroll, homeschooled teenagers have the option to start by taking a single college class while continuing to live and learn in their home environment. This allows for a more gradual transition into the college experience.
It's important for parents to also take into account the potential challenges that dual enrollment may present for their children. If a homeschooled student lacks the necessary academic background and executive function skills, they may face challenges when starting college classes and may find it difficult to achieve good grades.
There may be different registration requirements for dual-enrolled students, such as the requirement for in-person registration with a parent. Having a chat with an academic advisor can be really helpful for parents and students to get a better grasp on the potential challenges of specific classes.
High school students need to be able to handle attending classes with college-age and older students. Hey, this isn't your homeschool group!
DUAL ENROLLMENT COST
In certain states, students have the opportunity to participate in dual enrollment programs at community colleges without any cost or with a reduced fee. This is usually through a public school relationship. Perhaps consider registering your homeschool student for part-time status at your local public high school and enrolling in dual credit courses. This applies to all students, regardless of whether they are homeschooled or attend traditional schools. However, in many states, these programs are only accessible to students enrolled in a public high school, not to homeschoolers.
We have always paid full in district tuition cost at our home community college for our homeschooled students. But, it has still saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars in university tuition.
Paying the regular price in district tuition at a community college usually results in a significantly lower cost compared to four-year colleges and universities. Usually, students who are dual enrolled do not meet the requirements for federal education loans.
Transitioning from homeschooling to community college
There are other ways that homeschoolers can benefit from community colleges besides dual enrollment. A dual enrolled studnet will not complete an associate's degree, so will likely enroll in community college after completing homeschooling. For many individuals, community college can be a great next step after high school or a valuable opportunity for adults who have been homeschooled and are looking to further their education after taking time off for work, military service, or raising children.
Credits from Online Colleges
Certain four-year colleges and universities offer the opportunity for high school students to enroll as non-degree-seeking students and take a limited number of courses. Everyone has their own way of approaching dual enrollment. Some colleges are fully online and high school students can take dual enrollment courses and have these credits transferred to community colleges of their choice.
Getting College Credit Through Testing
Students also have the option to earn college credit through testing, in addition to dual enrollment through CLEP and DSST. These tests provide two options for earning college credit through testing, while also serving as a valuable means of demonstrating preparedness. DSST tests are commonly used by military members. You can find DSST courses listed on their website. If you're looking for test centers or a list of institutions that accept credit for DSST tests, you can easily locate them using their search tool.
If you're interested in CLEP tests, you can find all the information you need on the College Board's website. They have details about which institutions accept credit for CLEP tests, as well as the dates and locations for testing. It's worth checking out!
AP Testing
Scoring well on an AP test suggests that a student has a good chance of thriving in a college environment. It's not necessary to have completed an approved AP course in order to take an AP exam, although these courses do cover all the material tested on the exam. The College Board administers exams for various subjects and scores them on a 1-5 scale. College credit is awarded at the discretion of each institution, typically for scores of 4 or 5, although sometimes not even then.
Advanced Placement Courses
For a class to be considered an AP class, it needs to be approved by the College Board. Therefore, it is important to only use the AP designation on your transcript if you have taken an AP course that has been approved by the College Board. It is important to note that courses that utilize AP materials but are not taught through an AP-approved course and instructor should not be classified as AP courses.
HONORS COURSES
For more advanced material and coursework, you can use terms like Honors or Advanced, and give them more weight.
Additional Factors
It's important to keep in mind that not all college credits earned during high school are viewed the same way by four-year colleges and universities. For example, one university may accept the dual enrollment History course, but another may not. When it comes to earning credits during high school, enrolling at regionally accredited institutions such as state community colleges and most universities is the way to go. These credits are highly regarded and can easily be transferred to other colleges.
Four-year schools may view credits earned through alternative methods or from non-accredited or differently-accredited undergraduate institutions as less favorable, potentially resulting in limited transferability of those credits.
How college credits are earned during high school can create varying perceptions among college admissions counselors. Just to give you an example, credits earned from in-person dual enrollment college classes might be seen as more valuable compared to credits earned from online courses.
It's worth noting that colleges and universities have different policies when it comes to accepting college credits earned in high school. The limits on accepted credits can vary significantly from one institution to another. In certain cases, certain divisions within universities, might not count high school credits towards the requirements for a specific college major.
Managing college credits earned in high school can be quite tricky. One aspect to consider is that earning an excessive number of college credits may make a student ineligible for certain merit scholarships that are specifically awarded to incoming freshmen at the colleges they intend to apply to. However, it's worth noting that certain colleges may not include dual enrollment credits earned before high school graduation when determining a student's college class. This means that despite having these credits, the student may still be classified as a freshman for the purpose of merit scholarships.
When it comes to saving money and impressing colleges, earning good grades in community college courses and testing for college credit can be really helpful. These achievements serve as solid proof that students are prepared to excel in college.
