Students can take high school and college credits at the same time by signing up for dual enrollment courses. These dual courses transfer to colleges once the high school student graduates, which can eliminate some of the college tuition costs. Dual enrollment programs cover a variety of subjects, from business law to college algebra, but a report by US News shows that students who take dual enrollment courses usually get into accelerated programs that shorten their time spent in undergraduate school.
Some colleges do not offer dual enrollment courses, such as most New England schools. However; some states require dual credits in high school, such as Texas. University of South Florida offers high school students the chance to take dual enrollment courses on campus. In addition; age restrictions apply in some states, but Arizona permits students of any age to participate in dual enrollment courses. The U.S. Department of Education report shows the restrictions and features of each state's dual enrollment program.
In addition, students may take on-line dual credits at college. The University of Tennessee is one such college that offers dual enrollment programs on-line to high school and home school students. Troy University in Alabama has an accelerated dual enrollment on-line program with an abundance of courses. High school students can earn credits in business, visual arts, mythology, fundamentals of speech and macroeconomics. Many of these topics are general education requirements for college that high school students can take early in high school, which allows them to focus on taking courses specifically for their major.
Before taking dual credits, research that the college you plan to attend accepts these credits. Even if they don't, these courses still add interest to your admissions applications even if the college does not accept the credits later. University of Nebraska placed a list of all universities and colleges that accept dual enrollment credits, such as Brown University, University of Florida, Cornell University, Columbia College, Dartmouth and University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.