Concurrent Enrollment FAQs

1. What is concurrent enrollment?
Through Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, qualified students can earn college credit prior to high school graduation. Concurrent enrollment is sometimes identified by other terms such as “dual credit,” “dual enrollment,” or “college in the high schools,” but concurrent enrollment partnerships differ from other pre-college credit programs because high school instructors teach the college courses during the normal school day. Such programs provide a direct connection between secondary and postsecondary institutions and an opportunity for collegial collaboration. Although courses in some concurrent enrollment programs may have some elements or characteristics of the programs stated below, concurrent enrollment is distinct from the following:

• Programs in which the high school student travels to the college campus to take courses prior to graduation during the academic year or during the summer.
• Programs where college faculty travel to the high school to teach courses to the high school students.
• The College Board Advanced Placement Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program where standardized tests are used to assess students’ knowledge of a curriculum developed by a committee consisting of both college and high school faculty.

Concurrent enrollment courses are taught:

• In the high school,
• During the regular school day,
• By high school teachers.

2. How does concurrent enrollment differ from other accelerated learning options?
There are many differences between the courses offered through accredited concurrent enrollment partnerships and courses offered through other accelerated learning programs such as International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), or Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

• Concurrent enrollment courses are actual college courses.
• Concurrent enrollment students earn actual college credit.
• Concurrent enrollment students earn a college grade based on a variety of assessments, not just one high-stakes test.
• Concurrent enrollment students earn transcripted college credit at the time they successfully pass the course, not retroactively for prior learning.

3. How do students (and their families) benefit from courses offered through NACEP-accredited concurrent enrollment programs?
The concurrent enrollment courses offered through NACEP-accredited programs are of the same high quality as the courses offered on the campus of the sponsoring university or college. Students are held to the same standards and are exposed to the same rigorous academic challenges as students on campus, but are able to stay in their own supportive high school environment. Students are better prepared for college by gaining exposure to college expectations and workload. By earning college credit while still in high school, concurrent enrollment students have a head start as they start college – research has shown that earning 20 credits by the end of the first year to be an important factor in whether students finish college. Concurrent enrollment may also allow families to save on college tuition as many concurrent enrollment courses are offered at a discount or are free to the student (varies by state and institution).

4. How do teachers and schools benefit by participating in NACEP-accredited concurrent enrollment programs?
NACEP-accredited programs provide high school instructors with ongoing professional development led by college and university faculty. The interaction between the sponsoring college or university and participating high schools fosters strong local networks among secondary and postsecondary educators.

5. Do all colleges and universities recognize credits earned through concurrent enrollment?
While NACEP cannot guarantee the transfer of credit from concurrent enrollment courses, a survey conducted by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) shows that a majority of postsecondary institutions in the U.S. grant either elective or required credit for dual/concurrent enrollment courses. As with all accelerated learning options, it is important for students to contact the universities/colleges that they would like to attend, to verify how each school handles transfer credits earned through concurrent enrollment. Policies vary by institution and state. Policies may also vary by academic department within a postsecondary institution.