RHS Dual Enrollment Process and Guidelines

Dual enrollment is an opportunity for Rockford High School students to earn college credit at a post-secondary institution while still attending high school.

Dual Enrollment Process 

1. The student should read through Dual Enrollment Guidelines that follow. 
2. The student chooses a local college and explores the course descriptions and dual enrollment requirements of the college. 
3. The student makes an appointment with the high school counselor to discuss eligibility and college course options. The student provides the course details that include course number, course name, description and any prerequisites. 
4. The student is given the RHS Dual Enrollment Application to complete and then returns it to the RHS Counseling Office. The RHS Dual Enrollment Application must be submitted by June 1 for fall enrollment and November 1 for winter enrollment. Students may submit one application per semester. Students should be mindful of these deadlines leaving sufficient time to complete the process prior to the deadline dates. Late applications will not be accepted and changes will not be made after the deadline. 
5. Counselor notifies the student regarding approval/denial. If approved, the student completes the enrollment process with the college and registers for the course. If a student registers for a course without district approval, the district will deny the course for dual enrollment with the college and the student/family will be billed for all tuition and mandatory fees. 
6. The student submits the college class schedule to the RHS Counseling Office as verification of enrollment. At that point, it will be added to the RHS schedule. 
7. If the student fails or withdraws from the college class, the student/family will be responsible for reimbursing the district for the costs of tuition and any related fees.

Dual Enrollment Guidelines 

Student Eligibility 

In order to be eligible, RHS high school students must meet the following criteria: 

• A current student in grades 9-12 enrolled in at least one high school class, who is not a foreign exchange student, who has at least one parent who is a resident of the state of Michigan and who has not been enrolled in high school for more than four years. 
• The student must provide current PSAT or SAT scores that determine their college readiness. Courses designated as remedial, certification or trade courses are not eligible for dual enrollment. You can find the “Qualifying Scores for Dual Enrollment” link under the Dual Enrollment page at the Michigan Department of Education website. 

Course Eligibility 

In order to be eligible, the college course must meet the following criteria: 

• The course is offered by an eligible postsecondary institution for postsecondary credit. 
• The course must not be offered by the school district. 
• The course must be academic in nature: 
  • Course must normally apply toward satisfaction of post-secondary degree requirements. 
  • Not ordinarily taken as an activity course. 
  • Courses that are not a hobby, craft, or recreational course or a course that is in the areas of physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education.
• The course cannot give the student more than full time enrollment.
  
  Rockford HS follows the rules/criteria set by the State of Michigan for dual enrollment for all aspects of student eligibility, course eligibility, eligible charges and academic credit.
  
  

  • Scheduling 

    The student must complete scheduling of all graduation requirements prior to being approved for dual enrollment. Students must maintain a full-time high school schedule (15 classes per year, 5 per trimester). When a dual enrolled course is added to the schedule, it will replace one high school class and cannot interfere with class time in the high school schedule.

    
    

    Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit 

    Students who enroll in approved college courses may receive high school credit, college credit, or both. As part of the application process, the student must choose if the college class will be taken for a high school grade or high school credit only. If a student takes a course with a credit/no credit grade the final college grade will not be figured into the high school GPA nor can it be used toward academic honor awards. If a student takes a course with a regular high school grade, ‘A’ through ‘F’, the college grade will count toward both academic honors and the final GPA. Students may not change the grade option after the course begins. 

    Students should be aware that some colleges will not accept a college course for transfer credit if it appears on the high school transcript. Students should check with the college they plan to attend for specific transfer information for dual enrollment courses. Athletes interested in intercollegiate sports should be aware that the NCAA will not accept the credit option as part of the eligibility calculation.

    
    

    Dual Enrollment in Unapproved Courses 

    Students may enroll in classes that are not approved by the high school. In this case, no high school credit will be awarded and the student will be responsible for all tuition, fees, and other expenses. The course will not be added to the student’s high school schedule or transcript. The student will still be required to take 15 classes in their high school schedule.

    
    

    Final Grades and Academic Letter 

    Students are responsible for obtaining proof of their final grade from the college in the form of a report card or transcript. A high school grade of “I” (incomplete) will be carried until proof is provided. This means that class rank, honor roll, and academic awards cannot be determined until grades are presented. 

    In order for students to qualify for an Academic Letter, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 4 classes with a minimum of 4 letter grades plus CR. If a student takes a college course for college credit only, and has fewer than 4 graded instructional hours on the high school schedule, the student will not be eligible for an academic letter.

    
    

    Tuition, Books, and Fees 

    Rockford Public Schools will pay the tuition and associated costs for books and mandatory fees up to the specific dollar amount set by the state funding formula. Expenses accrued beyond that specific amount are the responsibility of the student and their family. The student must turn in the receipt and the books when they submit their final grade for the class to the Counseling Office. The district will not pay for any tuition, books, or fees over the amount allowed by the state.

    
    

    Withdrawing/Failing the Class 

    If a student decides to withdraw from a class, they must follow the policy of the college they are attending and notify their high school counselor immediately. Failure to follow the college’s withdrawal procedure may result in a failing grade appearing on both the high school and college transcript. If a student withdraws from or fails the college class, the student/family will be billed for the costs of tuition and any related fees by the district.