NOTE: The information below concerning dual enrollment funding is current and is subject to changes made by the GA State Legislature on a year-to-year basis.

GENERAL

What is the dual enrollment program?

• The Dual Enrollment program is a tuition assistance state-funded program for Georgia high school (public, private, and approved home-study) students that provides opportunities for eligible high school students to enroll at Georgia Highlands College earning both high school and college credit via part-time or full-time enrollment. When courses are satisfactorily completed, such courses will count both toward high school graduation and college credit.

What are the benefits of the dual enrollment program?

• Earn high school and college credits.
• Get a head start on your college degree.
• Access a wide range of college course options.
• Explore potential areas of study.
• Challenge yourself academically.
• Experience the rigor of college coursework.
• Access all of GHC's student services and resources.

How do I know if I qualify?

• Review the Future Student page for admissions requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

What are the application deadlines?

• Deadlines are available for view on the Admissions Deadline page.

I have applied to GHC as a dual enrollment student - what is my next step?

• Check the email address you listed on your admission application for emails from GHC about your next steps.
• Monitor your Check Admissions Status Page for outstanding items that need to be submitted and your current application status.

Do I need to submit a GHC Admissions Application each semester?

• No.  You would only need to reapply if it had been over one year since your last attendance as a DE student or if you are graduating high school and need to apply as a New Freshman.

FUNDING

What is the process for the dual enrollment scholarship/funding?

A Dual Enrollment Funding Application will need to be completed by the student and the parent each year the student participates in dual enrollment.  Once completed by the student and parent, the high school enters the courses the student is approved to take.  After the student is registered, GHC will approve these in the student's DE funding application and then post the DE award to the student's account.

Are there any expenses not covered?

• Certain fees are not covered by DE Funding, such as GHC's $50 science lab fee.
• If a physical copy of a book is issued/loaned to a student and it is not returned, the student is responsible for paying for the book.

I checked my schedule/bill, and there is a large balance! Why?

• • The Dual Enrollment Scholarship Awards are usually not posted on accounts until close to the beginning of the semester.  Your schedule WILL NOT be wiped out due to having a balance on your account.

REGISTRATION

What types of classes can I take?

• Students should consult with their high school counselor to ensure they are registering for classes that they need to complete to satisfy high school graduation requirements.
• In order to take College Algebra (MATH 1111), DE students must have at least a 3.2 core curriculum GPA.  To be eligible to take Quantitative Reasoning (MATH 1001) or Elementary Statistics (STAT 1401), a core curriculum GPA of 3.1 is required.
• Some classes have pre-requisite classes before they can be taken.  For example English Comp. I (ENGL 1101) is required before taking English Comp. II (ENGL 1102), and a 4-hour lab science course is a pre-requisite before Anatomy and Physiology I (BIOL 2251K0) can be taken.  Course descriptions and pre-requisites are listed in the GHC College Catalog.

How do I register for courses?

• Dual Enrollment students at GHC do not register themselves.  Prior to each semester you will receive a course request form link and password.  The Dual Enrollment Coordinator will verify your high school counselor/home school representative has added the classes to your Funding Application as approved courses, will register you, and send you an email confirmation.

Can I take online courses?

• Yes, Dual Enrollment students can take online, in person, hybrid, eCore or eMajor classes.

Is there a limit of how many courses I can take?

• Per guidelines set by the Georgia Student Finance Commission, DE students are eligible to take 15 funded hours during a semester.

AFTER ACCEPTANCE

Is orientation required?

• Yes.  All students (including online and high school cohort students) must complete the Pre-orientation and attend an in-person  orientation.  Both components contain beneficial information that you will need as you begin Dual Enrollment with/GHC.

Do I need a GHC student ID and parking pass?

• Yes.  Even if you do not plan on taking on-campus classes, it is best to go ahead and get both.  Then if you find yourself wanting to utilize any of the facilities or services, or attend a GHC event, you will already have them.
• If you are unable to obtain these when you attend orientation, The Parking Pass Form can be completed and a screen shot take taken of the confirmation page.  You will take this to the Campus Safety/Police Department Office at any GHC Campus/Site.
• Your GHC Student ID will be obtain through the Business Office at any GHC Campus/Site.

Are textbooks/access codes provided to me and how do I get these while in the program?

• DE funded classes that have book/access code requirements will be provided to students by GHC.  However, not all classes require textbooks or access codes.  Book requirements can be checked through the GHC Bookstore by either entering your student ID or your class information.  If a class requires a digital access code that is printed on a card and/or a physical book, these will be mailed to the mailing address GHC has listed for the student.  If a digital book or code is required that can be emailed to you, these will be sent to the student's GHC email address
• If you see a book requirement that is listed as OER (Open Educational Resource), your instructor will provide you guidance on how to access these.

Why am I receiving emails and/or a green envelope from BankMobile to make a refund selection?

All GHC students receive one of these.  Normally DE student's will not receive any refunds; however, there are circumstances where you might.

• If you self-pay for a course and then drop or withdraw from it and you need to be refunded part or all of the tuition that was paid, it will be sent by BankMobile.
• If the federal or state government approves Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, like was done during COVID-19, DE students could be eligible to receive government economic aid from the funds, which will be sent through BankMobile.

RECORDS

Will grades earned in dual enrollment courses impact my high school academic record?

• Yes!  DE credits earned at GHC are a part of both the students permanent academic record for high school and college.

How does my high school know what grades I receive as a dual enrollment student at GHC?

• After grades are finalized and posted by the Registrar, a secure Excel worksheet is sent to each school that had students participating in the Dual Enrollment Program that semester.

Can I retake or withdraw from a course?

• Students should first consult with their high school about retaking a course and withdrawing from a course.  Each high school has their own policy on these.
  • If permission is given, the student should request from GHC's DE Coordinator that the electronic Withdrawal Form be started.  The form requires that the student complete and sign it, high school approval and GHC's DE Coordinator approval.
• Students should be aware that:
  • they may not receive funding for the same course twice.
  • they become ineligible to continue in the Dual Enrollment funding after their 2^nd course course withdrawal.

How do I send my GHC transcript to another school?

•  If you need more than one transcript or an in-progress transcript (before grades post for the semester), these can be requested for a fee of $9 each - view the steps on the Registrar's webpage.
• As a dual enrollment student at GHC you can request one free transcript per semester.
  • Things to remember:
    • Only one request for a free transcript will be processed each semester.
    • If more than one free request is submitted by a student, only the first request will be processed.
    • Students can choose the recipient of the transcript and must provide a name and mailing address for the recipient.
    • Free transcripts will be mailed.
• The Registrar’s Office will begin processing free transcript requests after all final grades are processed for the current semester.

If you have any questions about transcripts, please email registrar@highlands.edu.

Please note that I submit all final grades to high school counselors in a secure document.  It is not necessary to request a transcript be sent to your high school for them to receive your grade(s), unless they specifically ask you to send them one.

CONTACT

What if I have more questions? Is there someone I can contact?

• Contact dualenroll@highlands.edu