Colin Wright
Professor Weaver
English 1102
29 April 2022
The Benefits of Dual Enrollment
For many high school students, the transition from high school to college can be a difficult one. However, there are systems in place that can help make this transition into higher education easier with a bit of a boost. Dual enrollment is an amazing opportunity offered to students across the United States. Dual enrollment is a program where students can take college classes at a college campus while still being enrolled in high school (“Dual Enrollment”). Dual enrollment is an alternative option to Advanced Placement (AP) classes offered inside the high school and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs or can be taken in addition to them (Partridge and Schaller and Berry and Routon). This is made possible by school districts affiliating with colleges in the same area (“Dual Enrollment”). Students can earn college credits, get the feel of college life, and have an educational boost for college all before they graduate from high school (“Dual Enrollment Benefits for Students & Parents”).
The transition from high school to college can be intimidating. With dual enrollment, high school students are exposed to college life while still in high school (Iland). Students can have a slower and easier transition with the support of their parents, high school teachers, and college staff. Many students do not have the luxury of getting this kind of backbone of support when they leave for college. Things as simple as using a college library, walking around campus to classes, and being in a college classroom with college professors and students all help the student adjust (An). College is different in many ways from high school. The way classes are taught, the way assignments are displayed, and the communication from student to professor can all take students by surprise. It is typical for dual enrollment students to not attend the college they are taking their college classes at. However, they can still get the experience of taking public transportation by themselves and traveling to a college environment from their home environment to a whole new college environment that can be very different from what the student is used to (Iland). It has been found that dual enrollment boosts a student’s success and puts them at an upper hand advantage because of the changes that are made in their academic life. Researchers have found that dual enrollment students have an improved rigor in their preparation for college (Iland), and better study methods after being exposed to different ways of retaining information than their high school acquaintances which leads to better study habits, and makes the student overall more motivated and confident to succeed in school (An). Along with dual enrollment’s educational advantages, it also gives students a social advantage by speaking to other college students in collaborative projects and communicating with their professors about the class that they are in (An). This differs from communicating with high school teachers because a student’s high school education is typically organized by their parents or guardian, while college life is much more independent. Students who are not in dual enrollment have no exposure to any of this. For example, dually enrolled students are 3.4 times less likely to take remediation in college (Grubb), 2.5 times more likely to graduate in five years (Grubb), and students who take dual enrollment are proven to be more likely to graduate from college than those who were never dually enrolled (Lee). These statistics starting to show especially over the past several years, with dual enrollment increasing by nearly 90 percent in popularity among high school students (Grubb).
A common misconception about dual enrollment is that it is only available to a select few wealthy students. When in reality, dual enrollment is available to any student from any background who matches the requirements in school performance (“High Schoolers Can Get a Jumpstart on College”), and in some cases can even be free of cost (Partridge and Schaller and Berry and Routon). For students of lower economic ability, high school guidance counselors can help students fill out paperwork for free dual enrollment (Partridge and Schaller and Berry and Routon). Many low-class families have first-generation children in education and these high schoolers will also be first-generation in higher education. Taking dual enrollment will help bridge this gap between what the family is uncertain of since it will be their first experience with it (Partridge and Schaller and Berry and Routon). Even though dual enrollment is available for students of any background, race, gender identity, etc., it is still fairly selective. There are criteria that students have to match to be able to be considered for dual enrollment. These requirements include being a junior or senior enrolled in their high school for the upcoming school year (“High Schoolers Can Get a Jumpstart on College”), a minimum of a 2.5 GPA (this may vary depending on the school), a completed dual enrollment application, having no records of violence, and having no serious broken code of conduct rules for their respective high school (“High Schoolers Can Get a Jumpstart on College”). The cost for taking a dual enrollment course is actually far cheaper than it would be to take the exact same course in college (“High Schoolers Can Get a Jumpstart on College”).
Dual enrollment allows students to explore what they want to do in the future before students who are not in dual enrollment (Iland). This ability for exploration saves money and will create more certainty about what classes they want to take in college (Gordon). For example, if a student wanted to major in mathematics took a dual enrollment course for math and English, and discovered that they actually enjoyed their English course more than their mathematics course, this would provide some extra knowledge of what classes they want to take in their freshman year and what major to declare. If this same student did not take dual enrollment and went into college as a mathematics major, they would discover they wanted to do something else later on, wasting time and setting them back in their education. This can prevent redemption in college, which would require students to take an extra course to make up for a course they previously failed (Gordon). If the student already has the knowledge of what their strong suits are in college-level classes, it can further propel them into a more successful college learning experience (Gordon). Dual enrollment can also help students graduate early (Gordon). Since their dual enrollment course is getting them extra college credits before even going to college, this gives them a head start in getting these credits (“Dual Enrollment Benefits for Students & Parents”). Many of their required courses will already be complete, especially if they are also enrolled in Advanced Placement, or “AP,” classes. If a student wishes to have a double major, this can also give them that opportunity (Gordon).
Given the many benefits of dual enrollment, from getting the experience of college living to higher graduation rates, it is evident that students of all backgrounds and goals benefit from dual enrollment.
Works Cited
“Dual Enrollment.” The Education Trust, 14 Jan. 2022, https://edtrust.org/issue/dual-enrollment/.
Lee, Jennifer. “Dual Enrollment Requires Sustainable Funding to Promote High School and College Success.” Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, 19 May 2020, https://gbpi.org/dual-enrollment-requires-sustainable-funding-to-promote-high-school-and-college- success/#:~:text=Both%20Advanced%20Placement%20and%20Dual,Dual%20Enrollment%2C%20and%20vice%20versa.
Grubb, John M., Pamela H. Scott, and Donald W. Good. “The Answer Is Yes: Dual Enrollment Benefits Students at the Community College.” Community College Review, vol. 45, no. 2, 2017, pp. 79-98. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/answer-is-yes/docview/1875398352/se-2?accountid=11226
“DUAL ENROLLMENT BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS.” US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Nov 26, 2014. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/dual-enrollment-benefits-students-parents/docview/1627993435/se-2?accountid=11226.
Iland, Emily, M.A., and Iland, Thomas W, B.S., C.P.A. “The Benefits of Dual Enrollment.” The Exceptional Parent (Online), vol. 45, no. 9, 09, 2015, pp. 30-32. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/magazines/benefits-dual-enrollment/docview/1753202829/se-2?accountid=11226.
Mark Allen Partridge, Tracey King Schaller, Reanna L. Berry & P. Wesley Routon (2021) “The Economic Benefit from Tuition Savings for Dual Enrollment Students in Georgia,” Journal of School Choice, 655-667,https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15582159.2020.1865091
“High schoolers can get a jumpstart on college: Dual enrollment programs offer many benefits to juniors and seniors.” Philadelphia Tribune, Oct 19, 2021, pp. 15. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/high-schoolers-can-get-jumpstart-on-college-dual/docview/2587942113/se-2?accountid=11226.
An, Brian P. “The Role of Academic Motivation and Engagement on the Relationship Between Dual Enrollment and Academic Performance.” Journal of Higher Education, vol. 86, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 98–126. EBSCOhost, https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=4&sid=feb882bd-c13d-4715-b43b-837de647ca41%40redis
Gordon, Sherri. “Dual Enrollment: Is It Right for Your Child?” Verywell Family, Verywell Family, 10 June 2021, https://www.verywellfamily.com/pros-and-cons-of-dual-enrollment-4589995.