Dual Enrollment

Parent Letter 2024

In an effort to meet students’ needs and interests, school districts have historically allowed their students to take courses at local colleges or universities in addition to their own high school. This is called “dual enrollment”. 

The State Aid School Act contains a provision that directs school districts to assist students in the paying of tuition and fees for courses at Michigan public or private colleges or universities, if all of the following conditions are met:

  1. Academic Dual Enrollment: A student is eligible to dual enroll in the areas in which he/she has a qualifying score from passing a standardized test in the corresponding content area.
  2. Vocational Dual Enrollment: To participate in dual enrollment in a Career and Technical Education area, a student must have achieved endorsement in all student areas of the High School M-Step or have achieved endorsement in mathematics along with a qualifying score on a nationally or industry recognized job skills assessment test as determined by the Department of Career Development.
  3. Eleventh and twelfth grade students may take eligible classes in the areas in which he/she has a state endorsement from passing the high school M-Step, SAT or PSAT test. A student requesting an academic course in an area that is not tested by the M-Step (i.e., foreign language, computers, fine arts) must have taken all parts of the M-Step in order to qualify. College courses must be academic core classes as opposed to “activity courses”. Only courses not offered through L’Anse Creuse or courses not available due to scheduling conflicts are eligible for tuition payment. Summer courses do not qualify for financial support.
  4. Students who wish to take advantage of this opportunity as a junior or senior, need to plan appropriate course work as well as make arrangements to take the PLAN OR PSAT in the fall of their sophomore or junior year (not in the spring) to be eligible.
  5. Students must be enrolled in both the school district and post secondary institution during the local school district’s regular academic year.
  6. Eligible students can take up to three classes per semester at any public institution of higher learning. However, students must reduce a high school class for each class they take in college. Their schedule must indicate ‘dual enrollment’ for each class they reduce. Students are no longer eligible when all the high school graduation requirements have been met.
  7. Students should select an alternate class for each course selection. Failure to have alternate choices will delay their enrollment process. If students register for a class not on their approval letter, they will be responsible for the tuition. Incomplete paperwork will delay the approval letter and delay the enrollment process for the student.
  8. Students must bring a copy of the dual enrolled class schedule to their counselor within two weeks of registration to verify enrollment and removed high school courses. Counselors should verify their high school schedule with appropriate number of Dual Enrollment courses.
  9. Students (parents if student is a minor) are responsible for tuition if they drop a class after the allowed refund date set by the college or if the student does not earn credit in the college course requested.

Additional Information

  • Students must provide their own transportation to and from the college
  • Student may have the course book paid for if money remains from course allowance. 
  • Eligible students can take up to three classes per semester, however, students must reduce their high school class load by one high school class for each course they take at the college.
  • Summer courses do not qualify.
  • Students will receive 1/2 high school credit per college course passed.
  • If a student fails or drops a college course beyond the time during which the post-secondary institution will refund the tuition to the school district, the student/parent is responsible for reimbursing the school district for the course.

Proper planning must be done so that all of this can be completed before the scheduled enrollment period begins at the college. Your counselor can be very helpful to you in this process. Any student who does not meet the above criteria may still be eligible for enrollment at the college, but he or she will be responsible for the entire cost of tuition and fees.