DUAL ENROLLMENT
Understanding its Benefits
Courtney Hill M.Ed.
DE Coordinator Manassas &
Woodbridge Campuses
Debunking the community college myth
Community College has come a
long way…
“place to go if can’t get in any other better
place” (place of last resort)
Choosing NOVA is a choice many students
are making because of its reputation, small
class sizes, ability to live at home, and SAVE
money and time.
What is NOVA/NVCC?
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One of 23 members of the Virginia Community College
System
76,000+ credit students and 2,600 faculty and staff
Largest educational institution in VA and Second largest
community college in U.S.
6 Campus Locations and 4 Educational Centers
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges for SACS
Offer more than 160 Degrees at Associates level
More than 1000 recent PWCS graduates attend NOVA
each year
Recognized for teaching excellence
Recognized as a preferred 2-year transfer school by
many Virginia universities
What is Dual Enrollment?
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An enrichment program that allows
eligible high school students the
opportunity to take courses and earn high
school and college credit at the same time
NOVA college courses may fulfill
Virginia high school graduation
requirements and begin a college
transcript towards a degree or certificate
program
House Bill 1184 Brings
New Opportunities
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Requires local school divisions and community
colleges to develop agreements allowing high
school students to complete an Associate’s Degree
or a one year Uniform Certificate of General
Studies from a community college concurrent with
a high school diploma.
Requires communication to parents and students
about the agreement and the ways the certificate
or degree can be earned.
General Education Certificate=
Freshman Year of College
Course
# Credits
English 111 / 112 College Composition I & II
6
Communication Studies and Theater elective
3
Mathematics, MTH 151 or higher
3-5
Physical or Life Science 1 & 2 Elective w lab
8
Social / Behavioral Sciences elective 1 & 2
6
Humanities / Fine Arts Elective 1 & 2
6
SDV 100 College Success Skills
1
33 – 35 total
Benefits of Dual Enrollment
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Provides students with a wider range of courses to take
Allows students to receive high school and college credit
Can allow students to avoid the duplication of courses
taken in high school and college
Guaranteed college credit with a C or better
Facilitate a seamless transition from high school to
college
Lower the cost of post-secondary education
Allows students to use campus resources and participate
in college events and activities
NOVA’s formal Dual Enrollment program
began in 2004.
College credit while in high school been
around for decades.
AP Versus DE
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Advancement Placement has been around for
years while DE is relatively new in VA
AP open enrollment vs. DE placement testing
DE teachers must meet requirements of college
professors
AP articulated credit while DE is guaranteed
AP structured to the test
DE is a college class
Weighted GPA bump 1.0
vs. 0.5
Challenge Index: What it really
assesses
Challenge Index: Ranks schools nationally
based on how challenging they are. Directly
tied to AP. Many people use this indicator
to determine the strength of a particular
school.
???Did You Know???
The formula used counts the number of
students who TAKE the AP tests (sit for
test). How they perform on the tests is not
at all factored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Challenge Index incentivizes schools/districts to
increase the number of students taking the AP
examination. Their challenge ranking depends on
this.
AP intended for top performing students who
would most likely be successful in the course AND
on the examination.
For students who are ready for the challenge of a
college course but may not test well, DE may be
the better match.
Enrollment options for college course work
while in high school
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Dual Credit
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Class taken for high school and college credit
Can be taken on-campus, online or through contract Dual
Enrollment within the high school
Concurrent Enrollment
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Class taken ONLY for college credit
Can be taken on-campus or online
Types of college credit available to high
school students
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General Education (transferable)
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Designed specifically to transfer to four-year
college
Included in NOVA’s Associate of Art and
Associate of Science Degrees
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
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Can transfer to a four year school but that is
not its initial purpose
Designed for NOVA’s Associate or Applied Art
and Sciences degrees (AAA and AAS)
Delivery Options
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On-campus
 Taught by NOVA faculty on campus with curricular
and Dual Enrollment students
Online through NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute (ELI)
 Taught entirely online by NOVA faculty through
Blackboard with curricular and Dual Enrollment
students
Contract courses within certain high schools
 Taught by high school faculty who are credentialed
NOVA adjunct faculty
 Taught entirely within the school day at the high
school
 Class only contains Dual Enrolled high school students
Contract DE
Over 30, 000 students in Northern Virginia
high schools received college credit through
NVCC contract dual enrollment!
In fall 2015, NVCC enrolled almost 5000
contract students in DE almost double from
last fall’s numbers.
Factors Contributing to
increased contract Dual
Enrollment participation:
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Cost: Price tag for college tuition raises
every year.
Convenience: Taking college courses in
your high school.
Competiveness: Students want more
rigorous courses; Head start on college
coursework.
Financial Analysis
2015-2016
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NOVA in-state rate or $171.25 per
credit hour.
NOVA out-state rate or $369 per credit
hour.
GMU $448 (in)/$1308 (out)
Contract DE last year was 15% NOVA’s instate tuition rate or $24.56 per credit hour
How much does Contract DE cost this
year?
Not a dime.
As of summer 2015 Contract DE is
completely free to students.
A means of allowing more students the
opportunity to benefit from college credit in
high school.
Benefits of Site Selection
HIGH SCHOOL (contract)
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FREE tuition
Taught by high school
teacher who is also NOVA
adjunct
Teachers are attuned to
high school students –
provide a safe transition
Ability to mesh college and
high school curriculum
requirements
Take class with other high
school students
NOVA CAMPUS/ON-LINE
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Experience college course
in college setting with
college teacher
Able to mix with other
NOVA students
Student pays 100% of
the in-state tuition rate
(not subject to out of
state tuition rates)
2015-2016 PWCS Contract DE
Opportunities:
College Composition I and II
(6)/Battlefield, Freedom
US Govrnmnt I and II(6)/Battlefield,
Freedom
Introduction to
Communication/Freedom
Principles of Speaking/Freedom
Web Design (3)/ITD 132
(3)/Battlefield
Data Modeling Design (3)/Battlefield
Intro Internet Srvces (3)/Battlefield
Network Fundamentals (4)/Battlefield
Introduction Routing (4)/Battlefield
Basic Switching and Routing
(4)/Battlefield
WAN Technologies (4)/Battlefield
Automotive Maintenance and Light
Repair: Osborn Park
Introduction to Early Childhood
Education/Gar-Field, Patriot
Stonewall
Observation & Participation in ECE/
Gar-Field, Patriot. Stonewall
SDV 100: Student Development
(1)/Potomac, Gar-field
Additional DE offerings:
WELDING
HVAC
Introduction to Welding
(2)/Potomac
Arc Welding (2)/Potomac
Welding II (3)/Potomac
Inert Gas Welding (3)/Potomac
Welding Drawing and
Interpretation (2)/Potomac
Semi-Automatic Welding
Processes (3)/Potomac
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
I-II (8)/NVCC
Circuits and Controls I (3)/NVCC
Introduction to Communications
(3)/NVCC
SDV 100/NVCC
Upon high school graduation,
students are only 1 course
shy of the certificate!
Open house last Saturday in
January for more information.
More information with school
counselors.
Upon high school graduation,
students are only 2 courses
shy of the certificate!
PWCS fully supportive of DE expansion within the
county.
Site based Management. Principals need to know they
can fill at least one section of DE.
Ask your high school principal about his/her plan to add
or expand DE.
Biggest Challenge is finding H.S teachers with the
credentials to be approved as a college instructors
-District HR looking to fill vacancies with qualified
teachers
-Working to create graduate cohorts
Once my student has these college credits
on a college transcript what can they do
with them?
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Transfer college credit to a 4-year college.
Continue at NOVA for the Associate’s
degree or certificate of study.
Secure employment with greater earning
potential than minimum wage.
Combination of all of the above.
Guaranteed Admissions
Agreements (GAA)
NOVA has a Guaranteed Admission
Agreement (GAA) program available to all its
students who graduate from NOVA and
meet the agreement requirements of the
college or university. The program gives you
an opportunity to save thousands in tuition
costs. Agreements stand with over 63 VA
and DC colleges and universities.
Specific agreements can be found at
nvcc.edu
Will the Courses Transfer to Other
Colleges and Universities?
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Colleges and universities have specific policies
regarding acceptance of transfer credits
Many credits earned through dual enrollment
typically transfer to four-year colleges and
universities
Contact the college or university you are
considering, to discuss the transferability of dual
enrollment courses or talk to a counselor at
NOVA for more information
Who is Eligible for DE?
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High School Juniors and Seniors
Exceptional Sophomores on a case-by-case basis
 Sophomore Exception Packet
 Test scores, transcripts, and a
teacher/counselor recommendation.
Proof of English and Math College Readiness
 Just like any NOVA student
 Use PSAT, ACT, SAT, SOL scores to qualify
 VPT Testing
Placement Testing and
Exemptions
ENGLISH
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Earn a satisfactory score on NOVA’s
English placement test
Score 500 or higher on both the
Critical Reading and Writing sections of
the SAT
Score 50 or higher on both the Critical
Reading and Writing sections of the
PSAT*
Provide evidence of a combined score
of 18 or more on combined Writing
section of the ACT
Receive a 3 or better on the final test
for AP English Literature or Language
and Composition course taken in high
school.
MATH
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Earn a satisfactory score on NOVA’s
math placement test
Score 520 or more on the Math portion
of the SAT (Students wishing to take
DE Math courses must meet the
college/course pre-requisites.
Score 52 or more on the Math portion
of the PSAT*
Score a minimum of 22 on the Math
portion of the ACT, taken within the
last two years
Score a passing score on a Math SOL*
Application Process
1. Discuss your options with parents and/or counselor
2. Apply to NOVA online using full legal name which will
allow you to get a NOVA Student ID number and access
to a NOVA email account
3. Obtain an Intent to Participate from the counseling
office and get all needed signatures
4. Take the college placement tests at your high
school
5. Register for the dual enrollment course(s) during
course selection with your counselor
Is Dual Enrollment
Right for Everyone?
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Are you prepared for the increased work load of
a college class?
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Do you have solid time management and selfadvocacy skills?
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Have you considered all of your options in light
of your future plans?
Contact Information
Courtney Hill
cchill@nvcc.edu