Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment allows students to enroll for college credits either during their high school studies or before a regular enrollment into college studies. This helps students experience the transition from high school into college life.

Research shows that dual enrollment or early college enrollment not only helps increase the chances of regular college enrollment among high school graduating students, but also helps the sustenance at the college studies, improved attendance, and better learning outcomes (Rodríguez, Hughes & Belfield, 2012). The reason behind this positive impact of dual college enrollment is that the students prior to regular enrollment into college studies become aware of the capabilities to continue their studies at the higher level. Moreover, they also come to know what is expected of them as a college student and they are psychologically ready for this critical transition.

Although early college enrollment or dual credit enrollment has its positive outcomes for all students, however, research finds that the use of dual credit enrollment is very significant for students of color, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Dual enrollment has been researched for quite a while now and various practices along with the researchers’ efforts, it has been established that not only the credit incentive in the form of waving off some regular college courses or awarding some good certifications, but also the financial incentives by waiving off the fee for dual credit courses would create a very positive impact in terms of increased colleges enrollments, reduced drop outs, enhanced college outcomes. Hence the governments and policy makers should focus on funding dual credit enrollments in order to improve the educational opportunities for the struggling, and low socio-economic background students.

References

Rodríguez, O., Hughes, K. L., & Belfield, C. (2012). Bridging college and careers: Using dual enrollment to enhance career and technical education pathways. In annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, Canada.