Dual Enrollment

What is Dual Enrollment?

Dual enrollment coursework allows our 11th and 12th grade students at Loyalsock Township HS an opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school, through the successful completion of college coursework. LTHS currently offers dual enrollment coursework through: Commonwealth University (online), Lycoming College (in person), and Harrisburg Area Community College (online).

Several of our advanced courses at LTHS also afford the opportunity for dual enrollment credit through Keystone College, including Advanced Trigonometry (available for 10th grade students), AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, and AP Calculus BC. The process for attaining college credit for these courses will be shared directly with students enrolled in an eligible course.

Who is Eligible for Dual Enrollment Coursework?

These courses are available to 11th and 12th grade students with an overall GPA of 85% or higher, who also meet the requirements of the partnering college. Students considering dual enrollment coursework should be academically ready to succeed at the postsecondary level and capable of handling more accelerated classes.

Students who are successful with dual enrollment work well independently, attend classes regularly, and complete assigned work without close supervision.

Students should discuss this option with their families, school counselor, and teachers to determine if a dual enrollment course is a good fit for them and their academic and post-secondary plan.

Benefits/Considerations

Benefits:

• College tuition has increased exponentially, making attending college one of the largest and most expensive investments. Dual enrollment coursework could potentially save students a lot of money! Though an up-front investment, dual enrollment costs are around 75% reduced from standard tuition costs.
  • Additionally, LTSD will reimburse $150 per dual enrollment course, for up to 2 courses (maximum of $300 per school year), as long as the student earns a “C” or better in the course(s).
• Dual enrollment courses often cover subjects not available at LTHS or can give students a deeper look at an area of academic interest. Exposure to diverse coursework can also help students formulate clearer academic/college goals and choose a major. Studies indicate that the average college student changes their major three times, and many students enter college undecided about what they want to study.
• Dual enrollment coursework can give students the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for college academics to college admissions committees. Any dual enrollment coursework and final grade(s) will be listed on the transcript, and each course has a weight of 1.06.
• Dual enrollment programs can expedite degree completion.

Considerations:

• Dual enrollment courses are real college courses for real college credit. Students need to be aware that they are beginning their college transcript when taking a dual enrollment course. If a student chooses to withdraw from their dual enrollment course or performs poorly in the course, there is a possibility that it can negatively affect future financial aid and/or put them on academic probation when starting traditional college coursework.
• Students will be treated as college students in an “adult” environment. Dual enrollment professors will not be in contact with school counselors, principals, or a student’s family regarding academic concerns.
• Students will not receive marking period or mid-semester grades. Students only receive a final grade for courses at the end of the semester.
• If deciding between AP and dual enrollment, keep in mind that colleges will often view AP course options as more rigorous than dual enrollment. This is also reflected in the higher weighting of AP courses at LTHS of 1.08, while dual enrollment coursework is weighted at 1.06.
• Most colleges use a 4.0 grading scale. LTHS uses a standard scale for converting these grades to our 100 point grading scale. This difference in grade reporting can have an impact on GPA and class rank.
• It’s important to know that not all colleges will accept dual enrollment credits. Students should research and select courses that will successfully transfer. This is most likely for students who plan on transferring credits to public, in-state colleges. Private, highly selective, and/or out-of-state colleges, by contrast, are less likely to accept these credits.
  • This website is helpful for determining if courses will transfer to and from PA TRAC (Transfer and Articulation Center) colleges and universities.
• Students are required to pay for their own books and materials/lab fees.
• College coursework will have a different schedule/timeline than LTHS. Students are responsible for managing these two separate academic calendars and should be aware that their breaks/vacation times and the course start/end dates will differ.