Dive Brief:
- Faced with a steady decline in enrollment, some community colleges are stabilizing numbers by turning to high school students interested in dual-enrollment programs that see them join college courses in addition to their high school studies, according to Inside Higher Ed.
- Colleges have been able to boost numbers through the practice, and some even receive additional tuition or subsidies for the classes, but some are worried that the programs may not be of acceptable quality or that the approach community colleges are taking is unsustainable.
- The number of educators teaching dual-credit programs has shifted because of regulations from the Higher Learning Commission, the country’s biggest accreditor, and all college faculty, including high school educators heading dual-credit courses, need a master’s in the subject they teach or 18 graduate-level credit hours in the subject, disqualifying many high school educators.
Dive Insight:
The increase in interest from community colleges for dual-enrollment program could be supported with resources that are potentially available due to the Every Student Succeeds Act. The legislation offers financial incentives for dual-enrollment programs, but also makes state and local education agencies subject to accountability measures gauging how students utilize these programs. While the dual-enrollment model may not be sustainable if the community colleges are not transitioning those students into full-time enrollees paying tuition, the programs can be a potential new source for federal funding, and a student utilizing a dual-enrollment program to transition into a two-or-four year college education would likely be viewed as a positive outcome by those conducting oversight.
The potential downside for colleges is that students who complete college courses during high school may be able to finish college more quickly, depriving institutions of tuition revenue that could be generated during a more conventional college career. However, if more students are introduced to college courses prior to full-time enrollment, institutions may not have to spend as much money on remedial education to ensure students are caught up. Colleges and universities could consider dual enrollment programs as a form of community outreach. Students who enroll in these programs may not necessarily attend those community colleges afterwards, but if the institutions can introduce themselves to schools and student populations they may get their name and reputation into the minds of potential future applicants.