Other General Requirements  ||  Online THEA Prep  ||  Application & Registration
Textbooks & Supplies || Dropping A Course || Request Information
Resources at NCTC || Other Resources & Links || Documents and Forms

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS:

NCTC THEA MATH REQUIREMENTS HAVE CHANGED

As of June 1, 2009, NCTC will raise the THEA score for TSI exemptions. All students taking a college level math course must be TSI exempt by TAKS, SAT or ACT (see test chart below). If a student is not exempt and takes the THEA or COMPASS, they must have a score of 270 on THEA math or 60 on COMPASS math in order to take any college level math course.

Please note that a passing score is still 230 (THEA) and 39-Algebra (COMPASS). Therefore, if a student scores between a 230 and 269 or 39-59, the score report will show the student passed, but they will not be eligible for any college level math course at NCTC.

Please contact the dual credit coordinator in your county for any questions.

First Step – Student Meets With School Counselor
Meeting with their high school counselors is the first step for students wishing to enroll in Dual Credit Courses at NCTC.  These courses are open to high school juniors and seniors residing in the NCTC service area who meet all of the following requirements. Public school, private school, charter school and home school students are eligible to enroll provided they meet the criteria outlined below.

SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Students must meet specific requirements set by each school district.
• Students must have a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of “B.”
  • Students who demonstrate exceptional qualities and have a GPA of    less than “B” may be allowed to enroll in one college-level course, but only with the mutual consent of the high school principal and the appropriate instructional dean at NCTC.
  • Students must exhibit the maturity and social behavior necessary to participate in a college-level course. Students with prior disciplinary or attendance problems, as defined by The Texas Education Code, section 25.92 Minimum Attendance for Class Credit, are not eligible to enroll in dual-credit courses.
• Students must meet ALL of the following criteria:
  • Provide a recommendation from their school principal or counselor
  • Hold junior standing
• Private school and home-schooled students must meet ALL of the following criteria:
  • Pass all three sections of the THEA test since they are not required to take the TAKS test
  • Hold junior standing
  • Be at least 16 years of age at the time of enrollment

General Requirements
Prior to enrollment in Dual Credit Courses at NCTC, students must pass the portion of the THEA or COMPASS test that applies to the course(s) they intend to take in order to meet TSI requirements (Texas Success Initiative):

• College level math—Students must pass the math portion of the THEA and score a 270 or COMPASS (60) test in order to take a college level math course.
• College level English—Students must pass the writing portion of the THEA (220, essay 5) or COMPASS (59, essay 5) test in order to take a college level English course.
• Other college level courses—Students must pass the reading portion of the THEA (230) or COMPASS (81) test in order to take any other college level course.

Counselors can utilize the following chart to advise students of the testing requirements:
THEA, COMPASS, ACT, SAT, TAAS, or TAKS Scores:

For more information from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on TSI requirements, go the the THECB web site:

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/OS/SuccessInitiatives/DevEd/dualcredit.cfm

Online THEA Preparation Through NCTC
NCTC offers free online tutorials for THEA testing.  (Click TUTORIALS and follow the instructions.) Here, students can access Practice THEA tests, test-taking strategies, and tips for the Reading, Writing and Math Sections.

Application and Registration Process
Counselors can assist students in this process by informing them of the following steps.  Please make sure students have all of the following paperwork BEFORE coming to NCTC to register for classes. Students who are missing paperwork or have an un-signed dual credit form will not be eligible for registration.

Any questions about these steps or the admissions process can be referred to the Dual Credit Coordinator in your county.  

Students may start this process during their sophomore year. Students should complete this process previous to the start of the registration period for the semester they want to enroll.  To apply for admission, students must submit the following materials to the NCTC registrar’s office:

• Completed Application for Admission.  (This form available at the NCTC Registrar’s Office or ONLINE .)
• Official high school transcript.
• Official test score report required by the Texas Success Initiative (THEA, COMPASS, Exit Level TAKS, ACT, and SAT).  Contact the Counselor’s Office at NCTC for test dates and costs.  Refer also to TABLE above.
• Completed Dual Credit Agreement form (PDF | Word Doc).  This form must contain all of the following information: course ID(s), section number(s), term code, signature of student, school administrator, and parent.  Students may obtain this form from their high school counselor or the NCTC registrar’s office. NOTE: Students are required to submit a new dual credit request form each semester before they can register.
• Registration periods are listed in the NCTC Class Schedule available ONLINE.
• Your registration is not completed until payment of tuition and fees is made to the Business Office on any campus.
• After each completed semester at NCTC, dual credit students should request an official transcript from the NCTC Admissions Office. Transcripts serve as the official grade report but are only given out by request. Also, students can request official transcripts to be send to other colleges/universities for admission and transfer credit requirements.
• Request Transcript

Textbooks & Supplies

Students are responsible for purchasing textbooks and supplies required for their North Central Texas College courses. Books and supplies are available from the NCTC Bookstores.  Book costs vary each semester due to instructors’ selection of textbooks to be used.  Payment is made separate from payment for tuition and books.

Dropping a Course

If a student wishes to withdraw from a dual credit course, they must first discuss the matter with their high school counselor. It is the responsibility of the high school to determine weather to place the student in a regular high school class to make any necessary schedule changes upon the student’s withdrawal to ensure they receive all necessary credits for high school graduation requirements. NCTC encourages all high schools to set an appropriate deadline for these schedule changes. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the required withdrawal form to the NCTC Dual Credit Coordinator or the NCTC Admissions office by the published deadline.

here is no penalty on the students’ high school or college transcript for dropping a dual credit course as long as the proper paperwork is submitted by the published deadline.

Documents and Forms

Dual Credit Agreement Form Dual%20Credit%20Agreement%20Form

Free Lunch Verification Form (Please print on official high school letterhead) http://www.nctc.edu/Dual_Credit/documents/FreeTuitionLetter.doc

Dual Credit FAQ's- General Information Sheet for Denton County Students

DC%20FAQ%20DenCo

Checklist for Registration

Checklist

Dual Credit Course Transferability

North Central Texas College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

NCTC Dual Credit courses are fully transferable to public colleges and universities in Texas and generally transferable to other colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Dual Credit students planning on attending a four-year school should be aware that each senior college determines its own list of courses required for a particular kind of degree. Moreover, different colleges do not require all the same courses for the same degree. Therefore, knowledge of the degree plan requirements at the institution to which the student plans to attend is very important.

For more information please see the Texas Common Numbering Website for specific course numbering and transfer information:

Texas Common Course Numbering System On-Line Matrix

Request Information
To request any Dual Credit course-related materials, publications, forms, brochures, etc., contact:

Resources at NCTC

Financial Aid-
For information about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and other financial aid click on FAFSA.

Academic and Student Support Services-
For information about TRIO, ACCESS, THEA Prep information, Live Online Tutoring and more, click on Student Support Services.

For information about academic advising, crisis intervention, career guidance, assistance with study skills and test taking information, click on Counseling/Advising.

Additional Resources and Links for High School Counselors

College for Texans – This site gives information about preparing for, applying for and paying for college or technical school in the state of Texas. There is also helpful information about getting through college, career planning and residency information.

Texas Online – This site provides information about choosing and preparing for college in Texas and links to public and private universities, information regarding online courses and degree programs.       

American Council on Education – This site gives information about choosing the right college, jump start your education, parental involvement, paying for college, preparing for college and other helpful information.