Dual Enrollment
General Dual Enrollment Information
Complete this form and turn it in to your ILHS counselor before you register with any college.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST BE SURE THE COURSES YOU SELECT ARE ON THE DUAL CREDIT LIST (EACH COLLEGE'S TAB ON THIS WEBSITE INCLUDES THE LIST FOR THAT COLLEGE) IF YOU EXPECT TO GET BOTH COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT- REMEMBER AS JUNIORS YOU NEED 4 CLASSES PER SEMESTER LISTED ON YOUR ILHS TRANSCRIPT AND SENIORS NEED AT LEAST 2 PER SEMESTER
Complete the Student Disclaimer form and give it to your ILHS counselor
Apply to the college
Once accepted, follow the directions the college will provide in your acceptance email to register for classes at the college
Provide your ILHS counselor with a PDF of your schedule once it is set
Alert your ILHS counselor of any changes
ILHS students may begin taking Dual Enrollment classes after the completion of their Sophomore year if they earned enough credits to be considered a rising Junior (that summer).
All DE summer classes are recorded on the previous year (so if you take classes the summer between Sophomore and Junior year, those classes will go under the Sophomore year on your transcript- so we do not recommend taking English or math during the summer since you need those courses listed for each year on your transcript).
ILHS has DE agreements with University of South Carolina- Lancaster, York Technical College, and Winthrop University.
Look to see if you are interested in completing any of the Associate's Degrees while still in high school- this may require you to take summer courses in order to get in all of the required coursework.
Check with the 4 year college you plan to attend after high school to see if and/or how coming in with an Associate's Degree affects you (i.e. scholarships, housing, level of coursework).
Although during your IGP meeting your counselor will ask you if you plan to take DE classes, it is YOUR responsibility to APPLY to the college and REGISTER for classes.
To apply, you will need a copy of your transcript (you get that at your IGP meetings from your ILHS counselor), your vaccines, proof of residency, and proof of citizenship- if you are not a citizen, you need: Copies of both the student and one of your parent's VISAs (front and back)- Please note that if the VISA qualifies for university studies, you will be responsible for covering the costs of Dual Enrollment classes out of pocket. (The cost is $80.00 per credit hour at USCL.)
The classes that count for BOTH high school credit and college credit are listed on the documents on the respective college's tab (each college may have slightly different names or course codes for each class, so it is your responsibility to be sure the class you register for counts for both high school and college credit).
Juniors must take 8 classes their junior year (either at ILHS or a combination of ILHS and DE- all of which must count for high school credit).
Seniors planning to attend a 4 year college after graduation should take 8 classes their senior year (either at ILHS, DE, or a combination of both).
English and math are required every year if you plan to attend college after graduation.
Please use this link to view the transfer of credits to other SC schools: https://www.sctrac.org/Student/Search-for-Course-Equivalencies - for other colleges contact the admissions counselor at the college you plan to apply to after high school.
See tabs in the margin for information about each college. It is your responsibility to visit their respective websites and campuses for up to date information.
So, you think you may want to take dual enrollment classes.
Here is what you need to know:
You need to be a rising junior (so you can start taking classes the summer between sophomore and junior year, assuming you have completed all sophomore year requirements)- summer classes will count toward the previous school year on your ILHS transcript
LCSD has three partnerships for Dual Enrollment- University of South Carolina Lancaster, Winthrop University, and York Technical College
You need to meet the Dual Enrollment GPA requirement for the college of your choice
Let your school counselor know that you are interested at your IGP meeting- your counselor does NOT register you
Attend any college information days that the college may offer- they will help walk you through all of this information
YOU are responsible for APPLYING to, and then once you are accepted, REGISTERING at the college- you have to apply for EACH year you plan to attend- it is not a one time acceptance- all dates are on the college’s dual enrollment webpage
There may be fees to apply
Some colleges offer free or discounted class tuition through LTAP- ask the college about this and ask if it impacts your future financial aid offerings- you will still have other fees to be aware of even if you get your class tuition for free- you may need to take a certain number of classes to get them for free as well
Look at the list of approved dual enrollment classes located under the ILHS website -> Counseling --> Dual Enrollment
Apply to the college following the directions on that college’s website- helpful links can be found on the ILHS Dual Enrollment website page
There are several documents you need to upload or bring to the college during the application process- transcripts, vaccinations, identification (cannot be a driving permit), proof of SC residency (you may need your parent's license number and car registration information) etc.- have those ready and get them in on time
CHECK YOUR EMAIL (the one you put on the college application- it is where they will send your acceptance letter)- once you are accepted, the college will want you to register for a college email- this is where all college correspondence will occur, and you are responsible for checking it at least daily- directions for setting up email should be in the acceptance email
If you do not hear from the college in a reasonable amount of time, call to inquire about the status of your application
Look to see when the registration day is where you go to the college campus and register for your classes in person
There will also be instructions for setting up other accounts for all college business (For example: USCL has you set up your “Self Service Carolina” - among other important items, you can see courses offered and your concise schedule (which you need to print and provide to your ILHS school counselor once your schedule is set) and your “Blackboard” (or other learning management system) account where you access your class materials
Check out the college bookstore/website where you can search your class code to see which books, if any, you will need- be sure to order these ASAP so that you will have them in time for class- Going to the college’s bookstore in person may be the best means. Check your class syllabus to see which books, if any, you need- look at the edition as well- it may make a difference-sometimes there is reading due before the class starts, so pay attention to the syllabus
Other helpful items to know:
Each college has its own way of doing business. It is your responsibility to pay attention and do what they need you to do
Your ILHS issued Chromebook will not allow you to hold Zoom meetings for Synchronous classes
Inquire early about college bookstore programs and possibly getting books for free- you can order books from anywhere you would like, but it is a good idea to start at the college bookstore- check the course syllabus to see which books
Know all important dates- application deadlines, registration deadlines, drop class deadlines (missing the drop class deadline can result in an F on your college transcripts and may impact your ILHS graduation date as well) ILHS cannot do anything to help you if you miss these dates- you only have the first 5 days of the ILHS semester to drop off the class from your transcript without penalty- even if the college drop date is further out than the ILHS drop date
Do not get talked into taking classes you do not want or need
Register as early as they allow to get the classes you want
It is preferred that you take the “asynchronous” option for classes as we do not create your ILHS schedule around your college classes, so you cannot be sure that you will not have an ILHS class at the same time as a synchronous class or an in person class at the college or that you can “make the drive” back and forth in time
If you have asynchronous classes and have in person classes at ILHS, you may register for an ILHS Independent Study
You will only get ILHS graduation credit for the classes that are approved for DUAL CREDIT; however you may take as many classes as the college allows (usually up to 5- remember credits do not equal classes, so be sure to understand your college’s credit system)
You may take other courses that are not dual enrollment approved, but they will NOT count toward ILHS graduation
If you have an idea about where you want to go to college after graduation, reach out to that college to see what classes they will accept from your dual enrollment experience to count towards your degree there
When the class is complete, the college will send the grades to ILHS and then they will be added to your transcript-this takes time
To be considered a registered student at ILHS, you need at least 2 classes per semester- these can be at ILHS, through dual enrollment (dual credit approved classes only), or through VirtualSC (if ILHS does not have an open seat or does not offer that particular class) or any combination
If you are a junior, you need 4 classes per semester
If you are a senior and plan to attend a four year college, you need 4 classes per semester
Once you have access to your college Course Syllabus, PRINT IT OUT and KEEP A COPY- it is how you can prove to other schools in the future which classes you took, so that you do not have to repeat classes- a schedule will not cut it in this situation, they will need to see the syllabus
Once you have access to your Course Syllabus, READ IT and put any important dates on your calendar
Be sure to explore the entire course site to see any helpful information, links, messages from the professor, etc. You are responsible for that, and it CAN impact your grade!!!
Remember this is COLLEGE and it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to be a prepared student!