Dual Credit

Students in grades 9 – 12 may qualify to take dual credit courses through an approved college. Students who successfully complete dual credit courses receive both high school and college credit for the courses. These courses may be taken at the home high school, the college campus, or online.

The SC Department of Education must approve dual credit courses. Credit will not be awarded for courses that have not been approved by the SCDE.

Only college credit courses that count toward the completion of a two-year technical degree or four-year baccalaureate degree will be approved. Please check with the college of your choice to determine its policy regarding acceptance of college courses taken by high school students.

Permission from the principal or his/her designee must be obtained prior to taking any courses that are to be considered for dual credit. Students who enroll in courses without prior permission will not receive credit for the courses.

Students interested in participating in intercollegiate athletics should check with their athletic director and with the schools of their choice prior to taking dual credit/dual enrollment courses, especially courses to be taken on the college campus.

Enrollment in dual credit courses will be verified to ensure that students are enrolled in the minimum number of Carnegie units for their grade level. If a student does not enroll in or withdraws from a dual credit course, an additional course must be scheduled at the home high school if needed to meet the minimum unit requirement.

N O T E -- If a student does not wish for a dual enrollment course to count on his or her high school transcript, the student must submit a letter to the school counselor before the drop/add date expires for the course requesting that the course not be included on the high school transcript. This student will not be eligible for incentives, school-based scholarships for courses, or financial reimbursements. This course will not be included in the student’s schedule. The letter must include the student’s printed/typed name and signature as well as the parent/guardian’s printed/typed name and signature. Otherwise, the course will be included in the student’s high school transcript and GPA calculation.

Students must arrange for a certified transcript to be sent to the high school from the college after a dual credit course has been completed. All final grades (including WF) reported by the college will be recorded in the student database system. When transcripts are received with letter grades recorded, the following conversion system will apply: A = 95, B = 85, C = 75, D = 65, F = 51. Numerical grades lower than 60 that are indicated as a passing grade from the sending institution will be converted to a 65 and entered in the student database as a 65.

Only the final grade reported on the college transcript will be entered in the student database and count in GPA calculations. Dual credit courses in progress during the second semester will not be included in GPA calculations at the end of the third nine weeks. Any awards/honors determined by class rank at the end of the third nine weeks will not include the grades for second semester dual credit courses in progress at that time.