Early College Access Program

Updates to ECAP for 2024-2025

Anne Arundel County Public School Schools (AACPS) and Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) are joint sponsors of the Early College Access Programs (ECAP), also referred to as Dual Enrollment, which includes Dual Credit and Non-Dual Credit programs. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (“Blueprint”) statute provides ECAP funding for students who have met the College and Career Readiness (CCR) eligibility requirements. These funds are to be used to support participation at no cost to the student. Students in the 11th and 12th grades who meet the CCR designation may take courses at no cost including tuition, fees, and course materials.

Continue to check AACPS's ECAP site for further updates.

Updated Eligibility Requirements

Students must be in 11th and 12th grade, have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher, and met the CCR standard designation from Maryland State Department of Education (see chart to the left for what being CCR means).
Students who meet CCR and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are allowed to take two ECAP courses per semester. Students who have a GPA of a 3.0 and does not qualify yet with a CCR designation are able to sign up for one course per semester.
Students participating in the Signature Pathway AACC courses are not required to meet the above criteria to be eligible to enroll. The only requirement is that you have at least a 2.0 GPA.
Students who take ECAP courses who do not achieve a grade of C or higher will not be eligible to enroll in another ECAP course unless they can demonstrate extenuating circumstances. In such cases, the student and their family must submit a formal request to the Assistant Superintendent Office of College and Career Readiness.

Updated Grading Policy

Students who receive an AACC (Anne Arundel Community College) course grade of 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' will be awarded the corresponding letter grade on the high school transcript determined by the community college.
Students must maintain a good academic standing with AACC with a letter grade of a C or better to be successful in a college course.
An AACC course grade of 'F', 'FX' or 'I' will be converted to an AACPS (Anne Arundel County Public Schools) grade of 'E' on the high school transcript.
High school transcripts will reflect high school credit for passing grades and no credit for 'D', 'F', 'FX', or 'I' grades. These courses will be factored into the student's GPA. Hence, students who fail to complete the AACC courses successfully may not have earned credit towards graduation requirements.
Grades earned in college courses for dual credit will be calculated into the high school transcript as a standard grade.
Unsuccessful College Course: If a student is unsuccessful in a college course, they should refer to the FAQ page for guidance on next steps.

Costs and Financial Assistance

The cost of participating in ECAP is the responsibility of AACPS for eligible students, as defined by the above requirements.

Students who are eligible through Blueprint have the following paid by AACPS:

AACC tuition for district-approved credit-bearing, non-credit career certificate or license program, or courses that are a part of a school’s signature program
Registration, lab, parking, activity, and other miscellaneous fees
Assigned books, supplies and materials that are necessary to complete a course, such as art supplies
AACC Bookstore will ship required course materials directly to AACPS students