Dual enrollment is a program that allows high school students (usually sophomores, juniors, and seniors) to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation. College credits earned through dual enrollment can be simultaneously applied toward high school and college graduation and can be transferred to other colleges or universities.

The Dual Enrollment and Statewide Dual Credit Program is a cooperative effort between PCSS and institutes of higher education (IHE) such as Volunteer State Community College (VS), Tennessee Technological University (TTU) and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Livingston Campus (TCAT).

PCSS students can earn high school credit toward graduation and college credit at the same time. Students may elect to take PCSS-approved courses to apply toward required graduation credits from high school. Only courses with a TN Course Code equivalent can earn high school credit and count in the student’s GPA. Courses that do not have a TN Course Code equivalent are noted on the student transcript and receive college credit but do not count in the GPA. To view a list of all current courses with TN Course Code equivalents visit https://bit.ly/3Soi9qH. Postsecondary course descriptions are available by visiting the websites of TCAT(https://tcatlivingston.edu/), Volunteer State Community College (https://www.volstate.edu/), or Tennessee Tech University(https://www.tntech.edu/)

Public institutions of higher learning in the State of Tennessee, by law, accept this transfer credit for college-level course work that has been successfully completed at a public institute of higher education. Approved dual enrollment and statewide dual credit courses earn the same grade points as PCSS academic courses.

To be eligible for the Dual Enrollment Grant program, a student enrolled in an eligible high school must be admitted to and enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution. Institutional admission requirements will govern the initial grant eligibility of dual enrollment students. A student must be a Tennessee resident, as defined by Chapter 0240-2-2, Classifying Students In-State and Out-of-State, as promulgated by the Tennessee Board of Regents, for one year as of the application deadline of the semester of enrollment in an eligible postsecondary institution.

AWARD AMOUNTS AT ELIGIBLE TWO-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

The award amounts at eligible two-year institutions and four-year institutions will be as follows:

· Up to $543 – Course #1 * Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #6 (HOPE)

· Up to $543 – Course #2 * Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #7 (HOPE)

· Up to $543 – Course #3 * Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #8 (HOPE)

· Up to $543 – Course #4 * Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #9 (HOPE)

* Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #5 (HOPE) * Up to $100 per credit hour – Course #10 (HOPE)

Students may receive Dual Enrollment Grant funding for up to ten (10) courses over their junior and senior years. Students who receive funding for more than four (4) dual enrollment courses will have all amounts awarded for courses five (5) through ten (10) reduced from their Tennessee HOPE Scholarship on a dollar for dollar basis.

1. A student qualifies to receive the Dual Enrollment Grant for one course per semester by meeting the admission requirements of the institution the student plans to attend. To receive funding for up to two (2) additional courses per semester, the student must meet the minimum HOPE Scholarship academic requirements at the time of dual enrollment. For more details, please see the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship academic requirements.

2. Dual enrollment students enrolled in high-need courses or programs as part of the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) Act may receive higher funding amounts for up to four (4) courses under the following limitations

   • Funding does not exceed the cost of maintenance fees established for community colleges by the state university and community college system; or

   • Funding does not exceed the cost of maintenance fees associated with the average attempted clock hours weighted by program participation for Tennessee College of Applied Technology institutions, as determined by the state university and community college system.

3. Students may receive Dual Enrollment Grant funding for up to ten (10) courses over their junior and senior years. Students who receive funding for more than four (4) dual enrollment courses will have all amounts awarded for courses five (5) through ten (10) reduced from their Tennessee HOPE Scholarship on a dollar for dollar basis.

4. College courses attempted and the number of years enrolled as a dual enrollment student shall not count against the statutory limitations of 120 semester hours or five (5) years for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship program.

5. At 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions, the Dual Enrollment Grant shall not be used for upper division courses (generally numbered 300-400 or 3000-4000).

CREDIT HOURS AND GRADE AVERAGE DETERMINATION RULE

1. The grade point average is the numbered grade average calculated using a 4.00 grading scale, calculated to the hundredth decimal.

2. The postsecondary cumulative grade point average used to determine eligibility for a renewal of a Dual Enrollment Grant must be calculated by the institution the student is currently attending, utilizing its institutional grading policy and must be based on all credit hours attempted, except as otherwise provided in these rules.

3. Courses in which a student enrolls as an audit student for which no college credit will be received cannot be paid with a Dual Enrollment Grant award.

4. Students who obtain a grade change shall notify the Registrar’s Office at the postsecondary institution within thirty (30) calendar days of the grade change. If the grade change makes the student eligible for a Dual Enrollment Grant, the student can be awarded retroactively in the current award year. If the grade change affects the student’s eligibility from the previous award year, the award may be adjusted in the current award year.

5. Semester hours attempted under the Dual Enrollment Grant program grant shall not count toward the total semester hours attempted at postsecondary institutions for purposes of Tennessee HOPE Scholarship eligibility.

6. The corresponding grades for the postsecondary credit hours taken as dual enrollment credits shall not be included in the postsecondary cumulative grade average for purposes of the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship program.

7. To be eligible for a Dual Enrollment Grant for any semester beyond the first semester of receipt, the student shall continue to meet all eligibility requirements for the grant and shall achieve a cumulative college grade point average of 2.75 for all postsecondary courses attempted while participating in the Dual Enrollment Grant program.

8. A student enrolled in a matriculating status at an eligible postsecondary institution shall qualify for an award payment for distance learning courses; if all other eligibility requirements are met.

Payment to the Institutions attending

It is the responsibility of the student and parent to check outstanding balances on the student’s account at the college/university. You may pay online or at the business office. If you prefer to pay with a credit card, please log in with your student ID number and PIN on the college/university website.

Once the students have been registered for classes, the Financial Aid Office will then certify the Dual Enrollment Lottery Grant and apply that amount to the student’s account. Fee Discounts will also be applied for those eligible students who submitted the appropriate paperwork. The remaining balance can then be paid through the Business Office. Payments can be accepted in person, by phone, or online.

Please do not wait until a corrected bill is issued to make a payment. Your registration may be in jeopardy of being purged from your classes. If you have questions about your balance, contact financial aid at Vol State (danielle.wright@volstate.edu) or TTU (mlmiller@tntech.edu).