Earn College Credit in High School!
Dual enrollment allows you to apply college-level work and grades to both your high school and college transcripts. Plus, the cost per credit hour is typically much less for high school students, so you’ll save money in the long run.
High school students today are more ambitious than ever! Many are job shadowing and exploring career opportunities earlier on, while also exploring options that will allow them to reach their goals faster and maximize their learning experience. An option many students gravitate towards when trying to get ahead is dual credit, or dual enrollment. Dual enrollment allows you to apply college-level work and grades to both your high school and college transcripts. Plus, the cost per credit hour is typically much less for high school students, so you’ll save money in the long run.
According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, dual enrollment students earn an average of 21.6 college credits by the time they finish high school!
Worried about squeezing a college class into your busy schedule? Online dual enrollment classes might be a great option for you! UA Early College (UAEC) at The University of Alabama is one program that offers students around the world this unique opportunity. UAEC students enroll in “typical courses” for dual credit, like English and history, but also have a variety of other classes to choose from, such as criminal justice and women’s studies. All students in UAEC begin with a four-week online college readiness course, which teaches essential skills necessary to be successful in college. After passing the course, you’ll work with an academic advisor to pick your next course (or courses).
“The content of my economics course was so rich and engaging! I loved that I could take one class, get credit in high school, and also have it count towards my college career,” said Abby Arthur, a 2018 graduate of Tuscaloosa County High School. She was even able to continue her UAEC courses into the summer after high school graduation and entered college as a full-time student with more than 17 credit hours already on her transcript. Abby is now a college freshman and is studying nursing at The University of Alabama. When asked about choosing to take college classes while still in high school for dual credit, Abby said it was an easy decision. She wanted a challenging learning experience that would prepare her for college— taking one or two classes at a time allowed her to build her confidence in navigating college-level material while also maintaining her high school academics, a part-time job, and extracurricular involvement. Prioritizing her time was important: “I wasn’t the top student in my high school class, and didn’t know if taking college courses was something I could do. After I got started and put my mind to it, I really enjoyed it and realized you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort.”
You are responsible for confirming your high school’s dual credit/dual enrollment policy— your high school determines how dual credit is awarded toward high school graduation. UA Early College must have an agreement with your school district, home school, or private school.
For more information, go to uaearlycollege.ua.edu and review the Dual Enrollment page under the Educators tab. Even if your high school will not give you credit for a dual enrollment class, you may still be able to take the class and earn college credit. Check with the advisors at the college you want to take a course with—they’ll be able to help you figure things out.
Interested in learning more about the online dual credit classes UAEC offers? Head over to uaearlycollege.ua.edu!
