Dual Enrollment

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Please Note: The following excerpt in regards to Dual Enrollment is taken from the MCPS Student Dual Enrollment Handbook.

Students interested in enrolling, or currently enrolled in dual enrollment courses, should consult the handbook for additional information.

The Dual Enrollment Program at Mecklenburg County High School is a unique opportunity for students. Students are given the opportunity to take college classes and receive high school and college credit. Although dual enrollment students are high school students, they are expected to adhere to the college course syllabus, attendance policies, and any additional policies of the college instructor to remain in good academic standing and continue in the program.

Dual enrollment tuition is paid for by Mecklenburg County Public Schools for students who make a C or higher in a course earning SVCC college credit. If a student earns a D or F in any dual enrollment course, which typically equals one nine weeks, parents/guardians will be expected to pay for the course(s). Students will not continue in the program until the payment is received.

Course offerings are subject to teacher certification and availability. If MCPS is unable to provide the course, the parent/guardian may assume the financial responsibility for the student to take any course through other means.

PROCEDURES

Students who are interested in taking dual enrollment classes must apply for admission to Southside Virginia Community College and meet the minimum requirements for placement; GPA requirements: elective courses 2.0 (unweighted) and academic 3.0 (unweighted). The Virginia Placement Test/VPT can be taken to qualify for dual enrollment courses. In addition to meeting the program eligibility criteria, a dual enrollment student must meet all course pre/co-requisites as listed on the course files established by Southside Virginia Community College. Students are encouraged to consider the Transfer VA and Passport initiatives when selecting classes. Additional placement criteria and initiative updates can be found on the Southside Virginia Community College Dual Enrollment webpage.

Prior to taking dual enrollment classes, students are required to meet college readiness requirements, submit parental consent (annually), and sign into the MySVCC portal.

TUITION

Dual enrollment tuition is paid for by Mecklenburg County Public Schools for students who make a C or higher in a course. Students must pass their current course prior to moving on to the next dual enrollment class. If a student earns a D in the class for the 1st-9 weeks (or 1st semester grading period for year-long courses), the student will be placed on probation. The student will be required to attend a meeting with a school counselor, instructor, parent, and administrator to discuss corrective measures yet remain in the course. If the grade for the course the 2nd-9 weeks is a C or above, the student will not be responsible to pay for the course that they had the earlier D. If a student receives a grade of a D or F for the 2nd-9 weeks, he/she will be required to pay the tuition for both courses. During this conference, it should be explained that some dual enrollment classes are prerequisites to other classes. A grade of F in a prerequisite course (ex. ENG 111, MTH 161, HIST 121, etc.), will prevent a student from finishing classes in that content area. **If a student receives an F in the class for the 1st 9 weeks, they will be immediately moved to a general course equivalent and be required to reimburse MCPS for the SVCC tuition.

ATTENDANCE

According to the attendance policy of the Virginia Community College System, Section 5.88 of the State Policy Manual, absences in excess of 20% of the scheduled class meetings will result in dismissal from the course. In the high school setting, this amounts to 8 days, per 9 weeks. Students who miss more than 8 days may not receive dual enrollment credit and a failing grade in the course. Again, dual enrollment students are classified as high school students but must adhere to college policies when enrolled in college courses. Dual enrollment teachers are required to meet with the student and provide written notice to parents/guardians when a student has missed 3 days of instruction. Students who miss for school-related activities will be excused, however, they must follow the instructor's policy for completing work.

Although dual enrollment students are high school students, they are expected to adhere to the college course syllabus, attendance policies, and any additional policies of the college instructor to remain in good academic standing and continue in the program.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE

MCPS does not offer the required coursework for students to obtain their Associate Degree. If a student is interested in earning their Associate Degree, please contact SVCC to discuss course registration and student’s progress towards SVCC graduation requirements. Students and parents are responsible for any additional costs and for tracking the progress towards earning an Associate Degree.

If a student is requesting to enroll in a college credit course taken at SVCC, the Permission to Enroll form must be completed and approved by their School Counselor, Principal, Director of College and Career Readiness, and Superintendent. Additional college courses taken through SVCC will receive college credit, however, they will not be eligible for high school credit or appear on the high school transcript.