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

2011-2012 DC Handbook for High School Counselors

Questions about TEA and Dual Credit Policy:

TEA- Dual Credit Frequently Asked Questions

Students who qualify for FREE or REDUCED lunch will qualify for FREE DUAL CREDIT TUITION

Students will need to submit the following letter (printed on official high school letterhead) each semester when enrolling for dual credit classes classes.

Free_ Reduced Tuition Letter- PLEASE PRINT ON HIGHSCHOOL OR ISD LETTERHEAD

Steps to Enrollment- What Counselors Need to Know

Step One: 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.

NCTC relies heavily on the high school counselor or representative to evaluate each student and their ability to be successful in a college level course. NCTC Dual Credit Coordinators provide training sessions for high school counselors each year with specific information about dual credit including:

Eligibility Requirements, Admission and Enrollment Procedures, and Curriculum and Course Information.

SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Who Is Eligible To Enroll In Dual Credit?

Provided they meet the criteria outlined below, high school juniors and seniors residing in Denton, Cooke and Montague counties may enroll in Dual Credit courses at NCTC.  This includes students in public schools, private schools and charter schools, as well as home-schooled students. Students are limited to enrollment in no more than THREE dual-credit courses per long semester and no more than three classes in all summer sessions combined.

To be eligible, students must:

• Have a minimum high school GPA of “B”.  Students must have a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of “B" or higher.

• Have exhibited the maturity and social behavior necessary for college level courses.  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.

• Have at least junior standing in high school course work.

• Have a desire to get a head start in college

• Have passing test scores appropriate to course subject/meet TSI requirements (Texas Success Initiative*).  Students who achieve qualifying scores as determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on the ACT, SAT, TAAS, or TAKS may enroll in dual credit courses. See the table below for test score requirements. Home school and private schooled students must pass all three sections of the THEA test since they are not required to take the TAKS test.

Testing Information
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.

Step Two: 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 the spring of 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.) Apply Texas Instructions

• 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 (Print Form Here).  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.
• Fall and Spring- Course information for courses offered on the high school campus can be obtained from the Dual Credit Coordinator in your county. Fall, Spring and Summer classes taken on an NCTC campus- course information can be found on the online searchable schedule- Class Schedules & Catalogs - North Central Texas College

• Counselors- please complete the course information; including the course number, course title and high school subject. Each ISD that NCTC partners with has a specific set of courses approved for dual credit, therefore the high school must complete this section in order for NCTC to give final approval.

• Registration periods are listed in the NCTC Class Schedule available ONLINE.

• Tuition is due at the time of registration. If students do not pay or make payment arrangements, they could be dropped from all classes.

• 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.

Dual Credit students, along with their high school counselor can drop a course online through the NCTC web site by clicking on the following link:

Dropping Courses - North Central Texas College

Documents and Forms

NCTC Dual Credit Handbook for Host Schools and Counselors Dual Credit Handbook for High School Counselors

Dual Credit Agreement Form: Dual Credit Registration/Enrollment Form

Free or Reduced Lunch Verification Form (starting Fall 2010):

Please print on official high school or ISD letterhead

Free/Reduced Waiver- PLEASE PRINT ON ISD/HIGHSCHOOL LETTERHEAD

Dual Credit Frequently Asked Question's- General Information Sheet:

General Dual Credit FAQ's

Checklist for Registration- General Information

Registration Checklist

Apply Texas instructions for Dual Credit Students:

Apply Texas Instructions

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 Web site for specific course numbering and transfer information:

Texas Common Course Numbering System

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.