Dual Enrollment: Experience College While Still in High School

High school senior Maddy Guimond is proud to call herself a Loy Norrix Knight. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, she’s also a proud Kalamazoo Valley Cougar. The 18-year-old varsity volleyball player travels to Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Texas Township Campus twice a week to take College Physics 1 in a classroom with 23 college students.

Guimond is one of the more than 1.4 million high school students nationwide who takes classes at a community college or four-year institution while still in high school. Through a program known as dual enrollment, eligible high school students may enroll in college classes at post-secondary institutions and earn both high school and college credit. Tuition and fees are paid for by the school district through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (PSEO). Depending on the district, transportation may also be provided.

The purpose of the program, explained Dr. Deborah Coates, dean of dual enrollment at Kalamazoo Valley, is to complement the academic programs of high school students by expanding their opportunities and offering them the challenge of taking courses that they are unable to take at their high schools.

More than 625 area high school students currently take classes on Kalamazoo Valley’s four campuses through dual enrollment. An additional 250 students take classes on campus through the Early College program, which allows students to earn an associate degree or certificate by completing a fifth year of high school.

“It’s the perfect way for students to get their feet wet and explore what they might want to do in the future,” Coates said. Guimond, who is interested in a career in healthcare, also took a nutrition class at the college during the fall semester. She is one of 58 Loy Norrix students who are currently dual enrolled at either Kalamazoo Valley or Western Michigan University – a more than 20 percent increase from last school year. Those 58 students have enrolled in a total of 129 college courses.

“I wanted to take more challenging classes,” Guimond said. “The two instructors I’ve had at Valley I’ve absolutely loved. They’re super engaging and have made learning really fun.”

Guimond will take the credits she earned at Kalamazoo Valley with her to either Kalamazoo College or Michigan State University in the fall. To be eligible for dual enrollment at Kalamazoo Valley, students must meet placement test benchmark scores. According to the PSEO, students must take courses that are academic in nature and in a subject area other than physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education. Students may take up to 10 courses at a post-secondary institution while in high school. In most cases, the courses can apply toward satisfaction of postsecondary degree requirements. “If a student is academically ready, we encourage them to try dual enrollment,” Coates said. “The knowledge they’ll gain and the college-going culture they’ll experience will put them steps ahead of their peers.”

Chris Aguinaga, dean of students and assistant principal at Loy Norrix agrees. “Students should consider dual enrollment courses to be better prepared for the rigor and differences of college courses compared to high school courses,” Aguinaga said. “Beyond this, they get the natural benefit of earning college credit while still in high school to help with a head start in college.”

Dual enrolled students have access to all of the support services that are available at Kalamazoo Valley, including academic and career advising, tutoring, student strengths development and employment services.

“I highly encourage students to work with an academic counselor on campus to chart their courses to ensure that the credits they earn will properly transfer through the Michigan Transfer Agreement,” Coates said.

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) was designed by the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) to facilitate the transfer of general education requirements from a community college to a four-year institution.

Tutoring, Coates added, through the college’s Learning Center, is another important resource that students should take advantage of while on campus. “As college students, they must manage their time, self-advocate and be actively engaged while on campus,” Coates said. “We want them to succeed and have these support services in place to help them do so.”

High school students interested in dual enrollment at Kalamazoo Valley for the fall 2018-2019 school year are encouraged to apply www.kvcc.edu/apply to the college now to ensure that they are ready to register for classes when registration opens the week of April 2.

Students will receive an acceptance letter in the mail within one week. After being accepted, students should work with their high school counselor to determine their dual enrollment qualifications under the PSEO and complete placement testing.

For more information, contact Dr. Deborah Coates at dcoates@kvcc.edu. Photo: Dual enrolled student Maddy Guimond (MSB Photo)