Student Eligibility
Student Eligibility and Prerequisites
Students who enroll in a U of M course through CIS should be challenged by the experience of college course work, but capable of succeeding. Student eligibility criteria and prerequisites are set by the faculty coordinator on behalf of the department owning the course. Eligibility criteria and prerequisites are intended to facilitate selection of appropriate students by instructors, counselors, or administrators—or self-selection by students. However, if there is any question about whether or not a student is prepared for the rigor of the University course, the decision rests with the CIS instructor in consultation with the U of M faculty coordinator.
Student Eligibility and Prerequisites by Course
Course-specific student eligibility criteria and prerequisites are noted in the Quick Guide to Course Requirements and Related Policies.
Exceptions
Instructors have the authority to make exceptions to the CIS student eligibility criteria and prerequisites on a case-by-case basis. Students may be admitted into U of M courses offered through CIS when the CIS instructor believes that the student’s past academic achievement and motivation indicate that he or she will be successful in the University course. Class size limits must be respected whether students are admitted based on the eligibility criteria or based on an instructor-approved exception to the criteria.
Ninth and Tenth Grade Student Participation
In some U of M courses offered through CIS (primarily mathematics and world languages), the CIS instructor may approve the participation of one or two individual ninth and tenth grade students if the students are well-prepared and if the U of M department approves. See the Quick Guide to Course Requirements and Related Policies for information about courses where this is possible.
High schools may also offer a U of M course through CIS to a class comprised entirely or primarily of ninth or tenth graders. Prior to offering a course to young students, an agreement between the high school, the university department that owns the course, and CIS must be signed. The agreement addresses issues important to the success of these younger students, such as steps the school will take to ensure that the students are well-prepared for the rigor, pedagogy, and content of the course; the criteria that will be used to approve students for enrollment; and the schedule for offering the course. Please contact Emily Hanson, Program Director, or Jan M. Erickson, Associate Director, to discuss the possibility.
Target Audiences for Entry Point Project Courses
60% of the students enrolled in an Entry Point Project course need to be from one or more of the following target student populations:
in the academic middle (between the top 50% and the top 20% of their class),
multilingual/ELL,
members of racial or ethnic minorities,
first-generation college-bound students, and/or
from families of low to moderate income.
The Quick Guide to Course Requirements and Related Policies indicates which courses are Entry Point Project courses.
Students Taking the Course for High School Credit Only
College in the Schools requires that at least 75% of the students in a U of M course offered through CIS be registered for U of M credit. This requirement is critical to ensuring that the course functions at the University level. All students, including those taking it for U of M credit as well as those taking it for high school credit only, must meet the eligibility criteria for the course and/or be approved by the CIS instructor. Instructors may elect to grade their high school credit-only students differently, but the course name and course requirements remain the same as for those who register for U of M credit.
Homeschool Students
Homeschool students may participate in CIS if they enroll in their resident district as a shared-time student. It’s up to the local district to determine any limitations. See the Minnesota Department of Education website.
Foreign Exchange and International Students (Updated 10/1/2020)
Students attending a Minnesota school on a foreign exchange program (J-1 visa) and international students on other visas (such as F-1, F-2, J-2, B-1 or B-2), are eligible to enroll for U of M credit, but are not eligible to generate concurrent enrollment aid from the State of Minnesota. The high school administration is responsible for approving a foreign exchange or international student’s participation, acknowledging they will not receive state aid (currently approximately $50 for each course enrollment) for that student.
Other considerations:
It is a violation of federal law to request a student’s immigration/visa status, see Plyler v. Doe 457 U.S. 202 (1982). Therefore, a student’s status will only be known if the family volunteers the information, or from paperwork that precedes the student’s enrollment at the high school.
Undocumented students are entitled to enroll in school and generate state aid per federal law. These students are considered residents of the district in which they live and are eligible to participate in concurrent enrollment courses.
Students can be in the U.S. under visas other than J, F and B. Generally, if a student is in the U.S. with their parent(s)/legal guardian under other visas and is able to generate general education revenue for the public school, the student would be eligible to participate in concurrent enrollment. Please contact kelly.wosika@state.mn.us to inquire about other visa types.
To learn more state aid eligibility for foreign exchange and international students, supporting documents can be found in the MARSS Manual on the Minnesota Department of Education website. For information about eligibility for specific visas to generate state aid contact kelly.wosika@state.mn.us; for questions about concurrent enrollment aid, contact jeanne.krile@state.mn.us; and for program-related questions about concurrent enrollment (credit earning) contact beth.barsness@state.mn.us.
Class Size Limits
See Class Size Limits (CIS Policy Reference Guide)
Student Credit Load Per Term
Typical full-time undergraduate enrollment at the University of Minnesota is 15 credits per semester. The credits for year-long courses may be counted into both fall and spring term credit loads. CIS students who wish to take more than 15 credits per term may require CCAPS Scholastic Committee approval. Contact Enrollment Services (cisenroll@umn.edu) for more information.