Dual Credit, Advanced Placement, CLEP

Hundreds of North Dakota high school juniors and seniors are getting a head start on college by enrolling in dual credit classes, enrolling in courses that have articulation agreements established, taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and receiving credit for prior learning.

You Have Options

With the dual credit plan, the college class is a replacement, rather than an addition. Students take just one class - the college class - and get both high school and college credit.

How does the program work? The high school junior or senior goes to the high school counselor to make sure the college courses he or she wants to take will meet high school graduation requirements. Then the student fills out a short application. The student's parents or guardians and the district superintendent also must sign the application.

The high school and the college must agree on the course content and whether the course will be taught at the high school by high school teachers or on campus by college instructors. Some courses also are taught electronically for students who do not live near the college. Students and their parents are responsible for paying tuition costs. Upon completion of the course, grades are recorded on the student's high school and college records.

Articulation agreements are developed between secondary and postsecondary institutions in order to provide non-duplicative, sequential programs of study for students that link high school and college instruction. Course-to-course articulation agreements grant college credit to students who have acquired occupational competencies from high school courses that are equivalent to those acquired in entry-level college technical courses.

AP courses , which encompass a variety of subjects, are offered at 17 high schools in North Dakota. After completing an AP course, a student may test to indicate a level of mastery in the subject. A student who earns a score of three or higher may receive college credit.

Credit for prior learning is earned through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Several colleges are CLEP test sites, and the North Dakota University System has established minimum scores for college credit in specific courses.

PARENTS SAVE MONEY. The cost savings for parents are substantial. Much of the cost of higher education stems from room, board and other living expenses. If parents can pay for one or two years of college while the student is still living at home and attending high school, they'll save money.

STUDENTS SAVE TIME. There also are great advantages for high school juniors and seniors who use these programs. In two years, it would be relatively easy to complete the first year of required college classes. Disciplined students could even complete the first two years of college.

Dual credit, articulation, AP and CLEP ease the transition from high school to college, giving students time to adjust to rigorous academic expectations while remaining in a more comfortable setting, often with smaller classes and more opportunity to ask questions.

Contact your counselor or administrator for details . More information about dual credit, articulation, AP and CLEP is available at http://www.ndscs.nodak.edu/nduscat/ . Contact your regional Tech Prep Coordinator for dual credit and articulation information.