More high school students are getting a head start on college, but dual enrollment is costly for some colleges.
Participation in dual enrollment programs has grown steadily since the early 2000s, with more high school students getting a head start on college — and not just wealthy ones. But while dual enrollment has broad support from students and policy makers, it can place a financial strain on colleges.
“The research shows that students who participate in dual enrollment programs are more likely to graduate and go on to postsecondary education,” said Amy Williams, executive director of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).
The flip side is the financial burden often placed on already underresourced community colleges. Juston Pate, president and CEO of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Kentucky, said the extra pressure of student services and additional outreach costs are difficult, though “worth it.”
Kentucky requires colleges to keep tuition pricing for dual credit courses at one-third of the regular rate. So, while Elizabethtown has hired three full-time staff members to exclusively manage dual credit courses, and students in the program can use the college’s resources, the college itself gets a smaller return.