EPSOs are a great way for high school students to earn credit and reduce the cost involved in earning a college degree or credential. It is crucial for students and familes to be informed about available financial aid for EPSOs, as well as any potential costs of participation. Additionally, K-12, postsecondary and all EPSO partners should consider ways to remove financial barriers and ensure that cost does not stand in the way of students being able to access these opportunities.
Advise students and families about how fees and scholarships may differ between programs.
Connect students with available financial aid options, including the KHEAA Dual Credit Scholarship and the KHEAA Work Ready Scholarship.
Connect students to resources (e.g., local scholarships, textbook loan programs) that address some of the other financial roadblocks, such as transportation, books, and supplies.
Consider providing waivers for course and exam fees for under-resourced students.
Expand investment in state dual credit scholarships with grants for under-resourced communities.
Check out these promising practices that aim to promote accessibility and affordability of early postsecondary opportunities.
Southern Kentucky Community & Technical College (SKYCTC) offers merit and the DC to Finish Scholarship to students who enroll after high school graduation. The DC to Finish Scholarship is the highest available merit scholarship at SKYCTC and is available to students who complete nine or more SKYCTC dual credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The Four Rivers Foundation (4RF) partners with school districts, school boards, and technical centers in the Kentucky River counties region to provide dual credit courses from Murray State University and West Kentucky Community and Technical College. KHEAA's Kentucky Scholars and Work Ready Dual Credit Scholarship provides funding for students to take these classes at no cost. The MSU Teacher Academy trains current teachers to become dual credit faculty, and adjunct professors from MSU travel to the schools in the foundation to teach college dual credit courses. Since 2010, students in 5 schools and 3 technical centers have earned over 16,600 dual credit hours.
Ludlow High School offers eligible juniors and seniors to participate in the Early College and Technical Education programs through Gateway Community & Technical College. Dual Credit classes are typically held on the college campuses; the course counts as both a high school credit AND a college credit. Some courses may be offered online or at local high school sites as well.
You can explore more topics related to financial aid and cost below.
Learn how to utilize Open Educational Resources (OER) as a program strategy to decrease costs for students, districts, and colleges.
Find out how Perkins V funds can be leveraged to support college in high school programs, including dual enrollment.
Find out more information about Kentucky's Dual Credit Scholarship opportunity for high school students.
Learn more about Kentucky's Work Ready Dual Credit Scholarship opportunity for high school students interested in career pathways.
Get your Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship questions answered by reading this KHEAA one-pager.
Get the step-by-step guide on how to apply to the KHEAA Dual Credit Scholarship.
Identify the cost associated with taking an AP exam and state funding opportunities.
Get access to a consortium of over 350 Kentucky libraries and institutions, including colleges and universities, public libraries, K12 schools, hospitals, Department of Defense libraries, the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA), and more.
Find teaching and learning materials (textbooks, question sets, materials in the public domain, and other course supporting material) that are free and open with a creative commons or similar license for anyone to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute.
Resources for Practitioners, Students, and Families:
AP/IB/CAI Exam Fee Waivers: Qualifying students on free or reduced priced lunch are eligible for the opportunity to receive a fee waiver for AP, IB, or CAI exams that can help students earn college credit.