Today I’m featuring an awesome guest post from Eva over at TeensGotCents. Eva is ridiculously on top of things for a teenager and regularly makes me feel like I’m a super slacker – in a good and encouraging way. I love reading her blog and thought she’d make an excellent contributor to the college conversations this month – as someone with a very pressing interest in the topic. 

 

In the spring of 2011, right before I turned sixteen years old, my mom was trying to get her finances in order. Someone recommended The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey so she borrowed it from the library. I was less than thrilled when I found out that she was only able to get the audio version which meant I was going to have to listen to it every day when she drove me back and forth to the rock climbing gym. Awesome…

I was shocked to find myself very interested in everything that Dave had to say. He was funny, very real, and I appreciated that he explained things in a way that was easy for me to understand and relate to as a teenager. It occurred to me that I had a lot of planning to do and knew one of my top goals was to go to college debt free. I’m a good student but don’t test very well on standardized tests so huge academic scholarships were probably not going to be a reality for me. However, I was determined to do the best I could to keep college costs down as much as possible.

Enter dual enrollment.

Dual enrollment is a program offered by most community colleges that allows high school students to take college classes while still in high school. It is open to students in public and private school as well as home educated students. In my area the rules are as follows:

You have to be sixteen years old.

You must be either a junior or senior in high school.

You must score high enough on the SAT, ACT or other standardized test to qualify.

If you meet those requirements then you are able to dual enroll. Your dual enrollment guidance counselor will help you choose classes you need for high school graduation that will also count towards your college degree. Most people take general education type classes such as English Comp 101, College Algebra, Biology, and/or American Federal Govt at first. Depending on where you live the college may allow you to take a full load of classes for your junior and senior year or may limit the number of classes that you can take as a dual enrolled student. Another detail that varies is whether or not you will have to purchase your books. Some students are issued their books, particularly if they are dual enrolled through a public high school. Private school students and home schooled students often have to pay for their books. Either way the tuition is FREE!

That’s right. Free tuition. I know a number of high school students who graduated from high school with all of their general education credits and their AA degree! I am limited in the number of classes that I can take in my area but it looks like I will graduate high school with over 30 college credits. These credits will count toward my high school diploma and toward my degree in respiratory therapy! In my first semester of dual enrollment taking two classes saved $744.26 in tuition alone. Whoot!

There are a few things to keep in mind if you believe that dual enrollment is right for you or a student you know. First, the rules vary widely from school to school. Just because one school allows certain things does not mean that another school will. You need to be well informed about the guidelines surrounding dual enrollment in the school you hope to attend. Second, this makes it very important to make an appointment with a dual enrollment guidance counselor at least six months (but preferably 9 months) before you plan to attend classes. The guidance counselor will walk you through all of the requirements, give you the appropriate paperwork to fill out, and help you get the whole process started. Last, are you are a student athlete hoping to get an athletic scholarship to college? If so you need to proceed with extreme caution. Even though you are still a high school student dual enrollment changes your status with the NCAA. You can check into it but you will most likely not be able to participate in dual enrollment. But that won’t matter when you make it to the pros with a multi-million dollar contract!

Dual enrollment has been a huge money saver for me and my family but it may not be the best alternative for every teenager. The professors are not going to give you any special allowances because of your age. You will need to do the work of a college student. Keep in mind that you will be the one dealing with professors and administration if you have questions or concerns. Most community colleges will not communicate with your parents at all but will only deal directly with you. Being on a college campus has been a good experience for me – but that may not be true for everyone.

Overall dual enrollment is an incredible opportunity for students to earn college credit for free while still in high school. It saves time and money – which is one of the best combinations in my book! There are a lot of other ways to keep college costs down so be sure to do your research.

be centsible!

Eva

Eva Baker is a high school student passionate about preparing for her financial future and helping other teenagers prepare as well. When she isn’t rock climbing at the gym or pinning ideas for her non-existent wedding, she documents her financial journey over at TeensGotCents.com. Find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter!