Dual enrollment is a program in which the state pays for high school students to get high school credit for courses taken at in-state colleges. The course will be listed on the high school transcript and the student’s grade will be 1 point higher in the GPA calculation (i.e., an A will count for 5 points).
The student also gets college credit if the student goes to the same college after high school graduation and the course will appear on the college transcript. However, if the student goes to a different college or university, the credits for dual enrollment classes might or might not transfer into the new college.
DSA’s alternate odd/even class day schedule precludes taking daytime classes elsewhere. DSA students can take dual enrollment classes that meet in evenings or weekends, or classes that are asynchronous (i.e., there are no class meetings; the student watches recorded lectures and works on her own).
Only Core and CTAE (career) courses can be taken in this program. The list of eligible courses is at https://www.gafutures.org/hope-state-aid-programs/scholarships-grants/dual-enrollment/course-directory/. To see which colleges are offering particular courses and to find the course number at the college, go to https://www.gafutures.org/checs/dualenrollment/DECourseDirectory. It is your responsibility to identify the college, course, and section you want; DSA does not research this for you.
Colleges have DE offices with counselors who will help you find what you want and guide you through enrolling. They also provide guidance and support after enrollment. Another potentially helpful resource is the Facebook group Georgia Dual Enrollment Support.
If you are interested in dual-enrolling, you must work with the DSA Counseling Department.
The process for enrolling:
- Consult with the DSA counselor to get permission and keep her informed as you go through each step; she will need to file paperwork on your behalf
- Apply to the college you want to use – go to college website to find application and instructions
- Submit high school transcript and apply for funding at GAFutures.org
- Submit any other paperwork, and undertake any other tasks, that your particular college requires (e.g., sign up for their email system, submit immunization records, etc.) Note, if you don’t have qualifying College Board test scores, the college may require you to take the Accuplacer test at their site
- Register for the course you want