Dual Enrollment (DE)
What is Dual Enrollment (DE)?
Dual Enrollment (DE) is a state-approved program that allows high school students to earn college credit through Coconino Community College (CCC), giving students a seamless transition to college and preventing the duplication of coursework. In addition, the DE program offers an alternative, less expensive way to earn college credit while still in high school.
How do I sign up?
The process of taking advantage of DE is essentially 1) fill out a CCC application (to obtain a Comet ID), 2) take the ACCUPLACER test or meet the GPA requirement depending on what DE course you're interested in, 3) register for classes, 4) pay for classes. DE courses have different deadlines for registration and payments owed, so contact FALA's DE Coordinator for dates and more information.
DE Expectations / More Information
Because DE courses are at the college level, students are expected to meet deadlines and complete college level expectations academically and behaviorally. A couple DE courses require a placement test if you don't meet the GPA requirements. FALA will provide two opportunities to test on campus. If you miss those deadlines, you will have to test at CCC over the summer.
DE courses are taught at FALA often as the same curriculum as AP courses. For the 2020-2021 school year, DE at FALA cost $15 a credit. A typical credit at CCC costs $109 a credit, this is a significant reduction! Classes are typically 3.0 or 4.0 credit hours. In the 2020-2021 school year, FALA saved our families $31,924 through the DE program, not including differential costs (lab fees, etc.) and books!
Courses Offered at FALA
Courses being offered at FALA the 2020-2021 school year include English 101, English 102, English 139 (Introduction to Creative Writing), Spanish 101, Spanish 102, Art 105 (Beginning Art), Art 120 (Ceramics), Music 120, French 101, and French 102. To see how CCC credits transfer into the Arizona Public Universities, check out AZTransfer.
If you need clarification or want to sign up for DE, contact Janine Birchard, FALA's DE Coordinator, at jbirchard@flagarts.com or 928-779-7223.
DE/AP Myths Solved
Many students believe they are doubling up with college credits by taking AP & DE, but that is not the case. Students will get the equivalent of a beginning level college course (typically 3.0 credits) if they get a high enough score on the AP test AND successfully complete a DE course. For example, getting a passing score for an AP English test and successfully completing DE ENG 101 will only get you 3.0 credits total, not 6.0.
Another myth is DE courses are harder than non-DE classes. That is not true. For example, students enrolled in Precalculus at FALA are sitting in the same class learning the same concepts than students who are enrolled in DE Precalculus. The only difference is they aren't getting college credit for it.
The last myth is AP is better than DE and vice versa. The best way to find out what option is best for you is contacting the admissions office of the university you plan on going to and asking what they prefer. FALA School Counselor, Janine Birchard, contacted 5 universities across the country, and none of them preferred one over the other; they merely said it was a personal choice for students and their families!