Intro to Dual Enrollment Using Career & College Promise
Understanding NC's fantastic and FREE dual enrollment program.
If you’re looking to save time and money on post-secondary education, dual enrollment is one of the most effective ways to do so. Dual enrollment allows high school students to take college and vocational courses for high school credit. College courses can culminate in a two- or four-year degree, and vocational courses often lead to certification or some other type of credential. Either way, your student can graduate high school with a year or more of post-secondary training already out of the way, and usually at a reduced cost too!
Here in North Carolina, we are extra blessed to have one of the most robust dual enrollment programs in the country!
That program is Career & College Promise (CCP), and it allows qualified high school students to take community college classes tuition-free. It is a statewide program, with statewide operating protocols, although application procedures may differ between community colleges.
CCP consists of two different types of "pathways":
College Transfer (CT) pathways lead towards an associate's degree. The type of credits earned on the CT pathways (called Universal General Education Transfer Components, or UGETC) can be transferred to a four-year college or university upon high school graduation, whether or not your student earns the associate’s degree first. There are currently CT pathways for the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Engineering, Nursing, Teacher Prep, and several disciplines in the Fine Arts.
Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways lead towards a variety of diplomas and certifications in fields like accounting, the trades, and IT. These are intended for students who want certification in addition to or in lieu of a two- or four-year degree. However, some individual courses on CTE pathways are UGETC courses that may also transfer to university or apply towards an associate’s degree.
The pathways are not always degrees/certifications/diplomas in themselves, although they can be. Each pathway includes a selection of courses from which the student must choose in order to complete the pathway. Until completion of the pathway, no other courses are permitted. Once all the requirements for the pathway are met, the student may go on to take additional courses from the course catalog as needed to complete his or her desired credential.
So, who can qualify for Career & College Promise, and how? It depends on grade, ability, and which programs are supported at your preferred community college.
High School Juniors and Seniors (11th and 12th Grades)
Both CT and CTE pathways are open to high school Juniors and Seniors, including those who are homeschooled, with a minimum cumulative, unweighted GPA of 2.8.
Juniors and Seniors with lower GPA's may qualify for CTE courses with additional indicators, such as test scores or a principal's recommendation.
Juniors and Seniors who wish to take a CT pathway must demonstrate college readiness on an approved assessment if they do not meet the minimum GPA.
High School Freshmen and Sophomores (9th and 10th Grades)
High school Freshmen and Sophomores can qualify for both the CT and CTE pathways if their community college allows it. Some colleges allow qualified 9th and 10th graders to take CTE pathways only, some allow both CT and CTE pathways, and some don't allow either. You will have to ask the college itself to determine what is available.
CCP permits students to enroll at any community college in the state. If your local college doesn’t allow underclassmen to enroll, or doesn’t offer the program you want, you are free to enroll at one that does. For homeschoolers, this is a simple process: just follow enrollment procedures. For students in traditional schools, it will require working with your high school to obtain their permission and ensure that they will award high school credit for the college courses you take.
Qualification for CCP as a Freshman or Sophomore requires much more rigorous documentation and demonstration of academic readiness.
Freshmen/Sophomores may enroll in specific designated CTE pathways with the recommendation of both the high school principal and the college's Chief Academic Officer or Chief Student Development Administrator. They must also demonstrate college readiness on certain approved assessments (see below).
Freshmen/Sophomores may enroll in a CT pathway ONLY if they are identified as academically gifted in English, reading, and math, as demonstrated by scores in the 92nd percentile or greater on BOTH an achievement test and an aptitude test. They must also demonstrate college readiness on an approved assessment, as well as receive the recommendation of the both the high school principal and the college's President, Chief Academic Officer, or Chief Student Development Administrator, as well as parental permission.
There is some confusion, even at the colleges themselves, about the tests that prove academic giftedness. In short, all three of the following are required:
Achievement Test: These tests measure content knowledge. If you’re a homeschooler, the test you use to meet the annual testing requirement should suffice. If you are enrolled in public or private school, your EOC or other end-of-year testing should meet this requirement.
Aptitude Test: These tests measure a student’s potential to learn new things. If you are or were enrolled in public or private school and are classified as academically gifted, you’ve probably already met this requirement. If not, you’ll need to work with your school to see what tests are available to you. For homeschoolers, aptitude testing is uncommon and not required by law. The OLSAT and CogAT are two common aptitude tests used by homeschools. Both can be taken online through a reputable testing service.
College Readiness: The most common and most accessible college readiness benchmarks are the PSAT/SAT, Pre-ACT/ACT, and AP and IB exams. Many high school students have already taken at least one of these tests. If not, you’ll need to arrange to do so before applying to CCP. Again, students in traditional schools should work with their guidance counselors. More information about college readiness benchmarks can be found on page 34 of the CCP Operating Procedures manual.
Freshmen/Sophomores admitted to a CT pathway have access to ALL of the classes allowed to Juniors/Seniors on the same pathway. There are NO LIMITATIONS, aside from the limits of the pathway itself, prior to its completion. However, as stated above, you must complete the pathway before taking any courses not on the pathway, with the exception of math courses. All of the individual CT pathways are available at the NC Community Colleges website.
There is a broad misconception that Freshmen/Sophomores are not permitted to enroll in CT pathways. This was true until 2019, when the NC General Assembly amended the law. Again, not all community colleges admit 9th and 10th graders to CT pathways, but this is an INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE DECISION, NOT A STATEWIDE POLICY. If you have a qualified student, you can find a college that will admit him or her.
Note that age is not a factor in CCP eligibility, but grade level is. If you are a homeschool administrator, you have the right to designate your student at whatever grade level you deem appropriate. However, you may be required to justify your decision, such as demonstrating that your younger student has earned enough credits to warrant junior standing. And you should know that students are capped at three semesters of dual enrollment (fall, spring, and summer) per year of high school remaining at the time of enrollment. So you can’t game the system — if you enroll your student as a junior, she will lose her eligibility after two school years (the time at which she should have graduated) even if you choose not to graduate her.
If You Want to Know More
The State Board of Community Colleges Code governs the implementation of Career & College Promise.
General information about CCP, including a list of all currently available College Transfer pathways, is available at this link. Note that not all community colleges support all pathways, but you can enroll at any community college in the state.
Homeschooling for College Credit (HS4CC) is an excellent resource for homeschoolers who are interested in leveraging college credit of all types. In addition to the website, there are Facebook groups for every state, including North Carolina, and many specialty interests. Executive Director Jennifer Cook-DeRosa’s book is also well worth your time. Full disclosure: I am a volunteer moderator for multiple HS4CC Facebook groups, as well as an HS4CC Consultant.
The CCP Coordinator at your local community college is your best source of information regarding what is available to your specific student at that specific school. However, it's important that you understand what the statewide policies are. A program that is of benefit to your student may be available at another college, even if it's not available at the one closest to you. Students may enroll in ANY community college in NC, including online programs if you are not within driving distance.
Public and private schoolers should always start with their high school guidance office. But going in with a thorough understanding of how CCP operates will help you know what to ask. Of particular importance is how your college credits will be counted for high school credit. Public schoolers should be familiar with the NC Public School/CCP Dual Credit Allowances.
I have to give a shout-out to my favorite NC community college, Davidson-Davie Community College, which is marvelously easy to work with and bends over backwards for its CCP students. If you’re wondering — yes, they DO admit 9th and 10th graders to both CT and CTE pathways!
And of course, I am always available if you need help! Please reach out!
Ever wish you had your own personal guidance counselor? Let’s talk.
