Dual Credit Courses

Dual credit (sometimes referred to as "dual enrollment") refers to college classes taken during high school. Therefore, students earn both high school and college credits at the same time. Typically, these classes are one semester in length and thus worth one high school credit. However, students normally earn three college credit hours for such classes.

Students must pay extra fees for college tuition. While those fees vary somewhat depending on the provider, these courses are offered at a significantly discounted rate compared to typical college tuition costs.

While dual credit can be a great way to get a jumpstart on college, students should make sure they are ready to take on more challenging material while also working more independently and with less accountability than they are used to. In addition, students should always consult first with a guidance counselor to make sure that any college course they are considering will be transferable and will count toward requirements for the Academic Honors Diploma. While other courses may be options, the Core Transfer Library is a good place to start.

There are several different ways in which dual credit courses may be delivered:

1. Online: There are over 100 college courses available online through various universities, although not all of these are approved for dual credit by the State. Students interested in taking a college course independently can start with one of our partner universities, which include Taylor University, Grand Canyon University, and Cedarville University. However, they may take courses through other colleges as well.
   
   
2. On a college campus: Seniors at Heritage have the option of dismissing early in order to take a course at a local college such as IUPUI or Ivy Tech, as long as this can be accommodated in their schedule.
   
   
3. In a Heritage classroom: Currently AP Language, AP Literature, and AP Statistics count as dual credit courses through Indiana Wesleyan University. In addition, when certain online college courses have enough interest, we provide a “hybrid” model where students are assigned as a group to a classroom with a supervising teacher for support and accountability. This also provides the opportunity for more interaction with the college professor through occasional visits to the Heritage campus. Under this model, we currently offer Intro to Psychology, Intro to Criminal Justice, and Intro to Business through Taylor University.

All dual credit courses are weighted in GPA calculations. At the conclusion of each semester, .025 is added to the cumulative GPA for each semester of college coursework.