One of the hottest trends for high school education is Dual Enrollment. For those of us who do not know what Dual Enrollment is all about, this is where a student will take a college course and get credit for that class at both the college and the high school. Sometimes travel is necessary, but in our case, students can take Psychology 1101 or Math 1113 (Precalculus) through UNG on North Oconee Campus this semester! If you are interested in this option, please come talk with your Guidance Counselor to learn about applying, but hurry, the deadline is fast approaching.
In Georgia, the Dual Enrollment tuition is paid for with your tax dollars and leaves only fees and books for parents/students to pay. There are so many wins for this program that many parents and students would be overlooking a huge benefit if they did not consider this option. It is conceivable that students could graduate from high school with one, two, three semesters of college knocked out without having to pay for it. In today's student loan debt crisis, you are reducing a student's ultimate debt load with this type of choice.
As with any great option, there are some things that must be considered. Is my student ready for the challenge? Do they have a good idea about what they want to major in at college? This can be especially important when a major has to be declared by the end of a fourth semester, any your student may graduate much closer to that decision point than his or her peers in their graduating class.
Here is an interesting article that looks at the positive aspects and the things to thinks about when considering Dual Enrollment options: http://www.studypoint.com/ed/dual-enrollment/
Any grade level student is eligible for Dual Enrollment. A student must have an SAT or ACT score and an acceptable GPA. If you are interested in learning more, plan on coming to an informational meeting on January 15th at 6 pm in the Fine Arts Auditorium. We will have representatives from Athens Technical College, University of North Georgia, Piedmont College, and The University of Georgia at this event to make you aware of their requirements and procedures. This meeting is a must for any student or parent considering Dual Enrollment.
