1. What is Dual Credit?
2. Where are Dual Credit classes taught?
3. What are the benefits of Dual Credit for students and their parents?
4. Who is eligible to take Dual Credit classes?
5. Do Dual Credit classes transfer to other colleges and universities?
6. Who teaches Dual Credit classes?
7. How is college level rigor assured in Dual Credit classroom?
8. May home school, private school, and charter school students take Dual Credit classes at BLINN COLLEGE?
9. How much do Dual Credit classes cost?
10. Who is responsible for the cost of textbooks for Dual Credit classes?
11. How many Dual Credit classes may the student take each semester?
12. Can Dual Credit students receive financial aid?
Dual Credit allows a high school student to earn credit towards high school graduation while at the same time earning college credit towards an associate's degree or technical education program certificate.
Dual Credit is approved and regulated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Dual Credit classes are college level classes, that provide instruction beyond, or in greater depth than, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a corresponding high school course.
2. Where are Dual Credit classes taught?
Dual Credit classes are conveniently held on the high school campus or on a nearby college campus.
3. What are the benefits of Dual Credit for students and their parents?
The benefits to students who participate in the Dual Credit program are many. The Dual credit experience helps to ease the transition from high school to college, and enable students to get a significant head start with their educational and career goals.
Students also find that the program helps develop those skills needed to be successful in college such as following a syllabus, meeting classroom and course requirements, conducting themselves appropriately, using self-discipline, and improving and applying higher-level thinking skills.
Dual Credit students also enjoy access to BLINN COLLEGE libraries, open labs, writing labs, advising, and athletic events.
Participating students and their parents benefit by significant savings on tuition and fees.
Finally, by completing two Dual Credit classes with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, students may satisfy part of the requirement of the state Distinguished Achievement.
4. Who is eligible to take Dual Credit classes?
To qualify for a Dual Credit class, a high school student must meet several basic requirements:
5. Do Dual Credit classes transfer to other colleges and universities?
Dual Credit students successfully completing college-level classes earn BLINN COLLEGE course credit. Public institutions of higher education in the State of Texas are required, by state law, to accept most college-level academic courses in transfer from another state public institution as core, field of study, or elective credit.
Students may verify the transferability of credit by asking the college or university if it accepts BLINN COLLEGE college-level courses in transfer. While many private and out-of-state institutions accept BLINN COLLEGE college-level courses in transfer, students are advised to confirm transferability with the private or out-of-state institution.
Technical education courses may or may not be transferable depending upon whether BLINN COLLEGE and the target university have a signed articulation agreement for the particular program and courses in question. Consult with a BLINN COLLEGE Program Coordinator for more details or refer to Blinn College’s articulation table for further information.
In accordance with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regulations, Dual Credit instruction follows the same curriculum, materials, grading,and rigor used in any classes on the regular campus. BLINN COLLEGE Department Chairs, through continual monitoring, assure the integrity and rigor of the curriculum in all sections of their discipline or program, both on-campus and Dual Credit.
6. Who teaches Dual Credit classes?
Dual Credit faculty must meet the same requirements as any other faculty member hired by BLINN COLLEGE. They may be full-time instructors of BLINN COLLEGE or adjunct BLINN COLLEGE faculty. Some high school faculty may be hired as BLINN COLLEGE adjunct instructors to teach Dual Credit classes because they meet the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) criteria and BLINN COLLEGE faculty standards.
7. How is college-level rigor assured in the Dual Credit classroom?
Dual credit faculty are interviewed, approved, hired, supervised and evaluated by BLINN COLLEGE Department Chairs. They are also required to maintain college-level rigor in each of their classes, the same rigor and curriculum standards expected on the main campuses of the college.
8. May home school, charter school, and private school students take Dual Credit classes through BLINN COLLEGE?
Home schooled students may attend BLINN COLLEGE as Dual Credit students. They must meet the same requirements as all other Dual Credit students and follow the same process of admittance to BLINN COLLEGE. In addition, they must document their status as Home School students, along with all pertinent information required to register for BLINN COLLEGE classes.
Private and Charter school students may take Dual Credit at BLINN COLLEGE, but must work through the administration of their high school. Private and charter schools who want Dual Credit as an option for their students must have established partnerships with BLINN COLLEGE.
9. How much do Dual Credit classes cost?
The BLINN COLLEGE Board of Trustees has reduced tuition and fees for Dual Credit students. Current tuition and general fees are published on the Blinn College website.
Tuition and fee payments are due at registration. Failure to pay by the due date will result in the student being dropped from class.
10. Who is responsible for the cost of textbooks for Dual Credit classes?
Dual Credit students, like all college students, are responsible for purchasing required textbooks and other essential course materials. The exception would be in cases where the high school provides textbooks.
11. How many Dual Credit classes may the student take each semester?
According to regulations of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), a student may take up to two courses per semester - Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Exceptions to this requirement include students enrolled in an approved Early College High School and individual students with demonstrated outstanding academic performance and capability if approved by the principal of the high school and the chief academic officer of the college.
12. Can Dual Credit students receive financial aid?
Dual Credit students cannot receive financial aid. Students must earn a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for financial aid. Dual Credit students should be aware that failure to successfully complete the courses in which they enroll could, in some circumstances, make them ineligible to receive federal student aid.
