Southern Lehigh High School is proud to offer students the opportunity to earn college credit prior to their graduation. SLHS has multiple formats for all of its students. The program has been expanded to include 7 paths for students to potentially earn college credit while enrolled at Southern Lehigh at a reduced rate. 

1. Concurrent enrollment (Dual Credit Program) - Concurrent Enrollment or Dual Credit programs allow high school students enrolled in a class taught at the high school to receive college credit. Any high school course offered for dual credit will have been approved by the appropriate academic department at LCCC, Univ. of Pittsburgh, or Seton Hall University as being comparable to the same course given on their respective campus. Dual credit differs from Advanced Placement in that the student does not take a national qualifying exam to receive the credit.

2. Advanced Placement Courses - Advanced Placement is a curriculum developed by College Board and taught at schools across the United States and internationally.  Southern Lehigh offers 21 AP courses to give students the chance to tackle college-level work while they are still in high school.  Students interested in earning college credit may take the AP exam at the end of the course at their own expense.

3. Early College Program with Commonwealth University - This program allows qualified high school students to take Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, or Mansfield University courses on campus, online, or through Mansfield’s approved districts as concurrent enrollment in a secondary environment, and earn college credits while still enrolled in high school. Students enrolled in Commonwealth’s ESP do not earn credits toward graduation at SLHS.

4. CLEP - The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) helps you receive college credit for what you already know, for a fraction of the cost of a college course. CLEP exams are administered year-round on a flexible schedule. Exams cost only $93 plus your test center or remote proctoring administration fee, compared to hundreds of dollars per course credit at a college. 

5. High School Scholars Program - The High School Scholars Program enables highly talented and motivated high school students to take college courses for credit, tuition-free, on the campus of either DeSales University or Lehigh University. These programs require students to complete an application and are selected by either the college OR SLHS.

6. Off-Campus Dual Enrollment - This program allows high school students to enroll in a class taught at local universities for college credit while still enrolled here at SLHS. We are currently partnered with three local higher education authorities; Penn State Lehigh Valley, Desales, and LCC. Unlike the Dual Credit program listed above, this program has numerous guidelines and may not result in students getting high school graduation credits.

7. LCTI Dual Enrollment - LCTI is an often overlooked option for students seeking post-secondary-level coursework.  However, LCTI is able to provide a robust, practical curriculum that can allow students to qualify for college credit.  Opportunities vary depending on the program selected. 

The following document includes registration and course identification information.  

It is very important to note that the transferability of dual enrollment credits depends on the institution the student attends after high school.  Each college differs. 

If you and your student are considering dual enrollment and AP Exams and want to make sure registering for these credits is a good fit for you, it is recommended you connect with your potential university or college admissions office to see exactly what regulations they have. Below is a sample script we recommend students use in order to gain specific feedback. 

To Whom It May Concern in Admissions,

My name is ___________________ and I am currently a (freshman/sophomore/junior/senior - select one) at Southern Lehigh High School in Center Valley, PA. My school offers a variety of dual enrollment courses and college board testing (AP and CLEP Exams). My school currently has dual enrollment agreements with Seton Hall, the University of Pittsburgh, and Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). I am writing today to determine what regulations and restrictions you have when accepting transfer credits as I am considering your school for my continuing education. My specific questions are:

1. Do you accept dual enrollment credits?

2. If you do accept dual enrollment credits, are there any specific institutions you do not accept from?

3. Is there a limit to the number of dual enrollment credits you accept?

4. Do you accept AP Exam scores for college credit?

5. If you do accept AP Exam scores for college credit is there a limit to the amount of credits you accept?

6. Do you accept CLEP Exams?

7. If you do accept CLEP Exam scores for college credit is there a limit to the amount of credits you accept?

8. Do you have specific guidelines for the acceptance of dual enrollment credits, AP Exams, or CLEP Exams you could share with me?

Thank you in advance for all the information you can provide. I look forward to hearing from you as I continue my college search and application process. 

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

While the landscape of college and dual enrollment is changing, this is the best course of action to ensure you have the most accurate information.  If you and your student still have questions after reviewing all of the information on the webpage, please have your student connect with their counselor. If their counselor is unavailable, they may contact Mr. Kinslow or Mr. Miller for assistance. 

Students are also encouraged to utilize the following resources to as a starting point for research on dual enrollment credit transferability to institutions they are considering:

• Individual college websites (below are five examples): 

Kutztown University

Lehigh University (scroll down to High School Dual Enrollment Programs)

PSU - Transfer Credit Tool

University of Pittsburgh 

Ursinus College

• Credit Transfer Database by UConn

• www.PAcollegetransfer.com

• www.transferology.com