College Credit Now: Opportunities for High School Students
Dual Enrollment : What is it?
The University System of Georgia recognizes the need to provide academically talented high school students with opportunities for acceleration of their formal academic programs. This recognition has led to the development of two organized programs: (1) a joint enrollment program in which the student, while continuing his/her enrollment in high school as a junior or senior, enrolls in courses for college credit; and (2) an early admission program in which the student enrolls as a full-time college student following completion of the junior year in high school. To participate in either program a student must be enrolled in public or private secondary high school which is accredited by one of the following:
- a regional accrediting association (such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)
- the Georgia Accrediting Commission
- the Georgia Private School Accrediting Commission (GAPSAC)
- the Accrediting Commission for Independent Study (ACIS) (List of Accredited Centers for Independent Study (PDF))
- enrolled in a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education.
Homeschooled students may be considered for dual enrollment if they are enrolled in Nontraditional Educational Centers that are recognized by GAPSAC or by state departments of education. Students attending non-accredited home school programs or non-accredited high schools may also be eligible to participate in early entrance opportunities if they meet all general admission requirements for dual enrollment and have both validated their on-track Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) units using our Home School Curriculum Evaluation Form and submitted a current copy of their Declaration of Intent to Home School as filed with a local Board of Education.
PLEASE NOTE: The University of West Georgia has specific identification terms for juniors and seniors who are joint enrolled. A joint enrolled high school junior is classified as a Gifted Junior and a senior joint enrolled student is classified as a Senior Enrichment Student.
Accel Program : Paying for Dual Enrollment or Early Admission
Students who are interested in dual enrollment or early admission may be eligible for funding under Accel. The Accel Program is for students classified as high school juniors and seniors at accredited public or private high schools and homeschool programs in the state of Georgia and is operated in all school terms except summer. The program pays for up to 100% tuition . Transportation and other expenses are the responsibility of the student, including tuition and other expenses for non-core courses, if any are taken. Courses pursued by students under this program must come from the approved course directory available at the Georgia Student Finance Commission website. Courses are available only in the areas of the core graduation requirements for college preparatory students: English; Mathematics; Social Studies; Science; Foreign Language. Additional requirements or restrictions for participating in this program may be imposed by the high school. All Accel recipients must complete the Accel application available through the Georgia Student Finance Commission website above.
Some General Considerations Regarding Accel Program:
- Students must be admitted to a postsecondary institution, according to the rules of that institution, prior to participating in the Accel Program - approval by the high school to take postsecondary courses does not ensure that the student is admitted to the postsecondary institution. Also, it is the student's responsibility to schedule the exact courses approved by the high school. Space in some college courses may be limited, and some courses offered may not have space available. Accepted students will receive information about setting up an advisement appointment upon acceptance.
- College credit obtained at one postsecondary institution may or may not be transferred for credit to another institution - the permissible credit allowed for courses taken elsewhere is determined solely by the receiving postsecondary institution.
- It is the duty of the student and parent, high school official, and postsecondary official to retain copies of all submitted forms for their respective uses.
A Dual Enrolled applicant needs to submit the following items to be considered for admission to the University:
- Application for admission
- $30 non-refundable application fee (on July 1st, 2012 the application fee will rise to $40.00)
- Official copy of your High School Transcripts
- Official copy of your SAT and/or ACT Scores
- Permission Form completed by a parent or guardian (Gifted Junior Parent Form / Senior Enrichment Parent Form)
- Permission Form completed by your high school counselor or principal (Gifted Junior Counselor Form / Senior Enrichment Counselor Form)
All immunization documentation must be recorded and submitted on a UWG Certificate of Immunization Form prior to registration
Application deadlines
A Dual Enrolled applicant must meet the following admission criteria:
Seniors
SAT Critical Reading score of 530
SAT Math score of 530
OR
ACT English score of 23
ACT Math score of 22
AND
GPA in college prep courses of 3.0 or higher
Juniors
SAT Critical Reading score of 580
SAT Math score of 530
OR
ACT English score of 25
ACT Math score of 22
AND
GPA in college prep courses of 3.5 or higher
Move on When Ready
HB 149, “The Move on When Ready Act,” permits 11th and 12th grade students to leave their assigned high schools and attend postsecondary institutions full-time (min. 12 hrs) to earn course credit that will apply towards high school graduation and college. The “Move on When Ready Act” is intended as another option (not a replacement) for 11th and 12th graders, in addition to other regular dual/joint enrollment programs such as Gifted Juniors, Senior Enrichment, and Early Admission. MOWR is only available to students entering the 11th or 12th grade and who have spent the prior year (2 consecutive semesters) in attendance at a Georgia public high school. Move on When Ready is different from any other early-entrance program in that tuition and mandatory fees are provided through the high school full-time equivalent (FTE) program count. Students interested in Move on When Ready program must apply and be accepted to UWG's Advanced Academy in order to be eligible.
For information regarding the Advanced Academy: http://www.advancedacademy.org/
For additional information regarding MOWR at UWG: www.westga.edu/~admiss/MOWR.pdf