Earn High School and College Credit Simultaneously...

The Dual Credit program at NCTC provides an opportunity for eligible juniors and senior high school students to enroll in college-level courses AND earn both college credit and high school credit simultaneously—by taking NCTC classes at any NCTC campus and/or at their high schools and/or online.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

TxVSN Key Dates:

SPRING 2010 Enrollment Dates

Tuesday, November 3 - District ADA 1 - 10,000 students

Wednesday, November 4 - District ADA 1 - 25,000 students

Thursday, November 5, 2009 - District ADA 1 - 50,000 students

Friday, November 6 and forward - all districts and open enrollment charter schools

Monday, December 7 - Unenrolled students may purchase remaining course seats for Spring 2010

2009-2010 DUAL CREDIT TUITION RATES:

Cooke County (in district)- $31 per credit hour

Denton and Montague County (out of district)- $51 per credit hour

Students who qualify for the high school free lunch program*

will receive FREE NCTC TUITION.

* High school counselors click here for Verification Letter

2009-2010 DUAL CREDIT TxVSN TUITION RATES

Cooke County (in district)- $31 per credit hour + $50 Distance Education Fee

Denton and Montague County (out of district)- $51 per credit hour
+ $50 Distance Education Fee

Students who qualify for the high school free lunch program*

will receive FREE NCTC TUITION.

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 (see special requirements below for home schoolers). Students are limited to enrollment in no more than THREE dual-credit courses per semester.

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.” 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.

• 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.

• 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.

*Texas Success Initiative- 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

Specific Criteria for Home-Schooled Students

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
• Home school transcripts must be notarized and include anticipated high school graduation date

Application and Registration Process

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.

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.

Scholarship Information

NCTC Foundation Dual Credit Scholarships – The NCTC Foundation Dual Credit Scholarship is reserved for underprivileged students who are residents of Cooke, Denton, Grayson, Love or surrounding counties. The scholarship is available to high school juniors and seniors wanting to take dual credit classes at NCTC.  Scholarship award amounts are $93 for in-district students and $153 for out-of-district per semester.  Students must re-apply for each semester.

Deadlines are as follows:

Fall Semester- April 15th

Spring Semester- October 15th

Dual Credit Scholarship Application

Contact:  NCTC Foundation Office, Debbie Sharp

(940) 668-4213, or email dsharp@nctc.edu

Student Expectations

Students should remember that a dual credit course is a college course in all respects. The curriculum is the same as used on the college campus, and their responsibilities are the same as all other college students. The teaching methods are the same as on the college campus, and students will be expected to conduct themselves as college students. [See the NCTC Student Handbook] 

College courses sometimes deal with controversial issues or subject matter that high school courses may not address. This can provide new challenges for the dual credit student. Nonetheless, dual credit students should be prepared to participate in the same course an instructor teaches on the college campus.

All college students should expect to invest at least as much time out-of-class as in-class in reading, studying, and preparing for college course assignments. To be successful and ensure completion of out of class assignments, most students will need to invest more time than this.

Students should pay careful attention to their instructor's system for assigning grades. Often the college grading system is different from the system their high school uses. If students do poorly on a test or assignment, they should not expect to repeat the work in order to improve their grade. Also, instructors may not allow students to do extra work to bring up a poor grade. The instructor’s grading system is covered in the course syllabus students receive at the beginning of the semester. If students have trouble in a dual credit course, it is their responsibility to ask the instructor what they need to improve in order to succeed in the class.

IMPORTANT POLICIES & INFORMATION

Attendance Policy

The instructor’s attendance policy is covered in the course syllabus that students are given at the start of the semester. Students are responsible for making sure they understand that policy. In college, absences may be handled differently than students are used to in high school.  Students’ absences due to illness or participation in a school function may be counted against them. Additionally, students should not expect to receive extra credit for attending class.

Student Responsibility

The instructor is available to answer questions about course materials or class policies. If students have any concerns about their performance in the course or are not sure of an assignment, the student should speak with the instructor.

Complaints

If there is a complaint about a course or an instructor, then students should first take the matter up with the instructor and try to resolve to the issue with him/her first.  If the student and instructor are unable to resolve the matter then the student will need to take the matter to the high school counselor, NCTC Dual Credit Coordinator, or the instructor’s department head.  Only if the matter cannot be resolved at the department level should the student make his/her appeal to the appropriate dean.  

Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA)          

Students should see Section 1 of the Dual Credit Handbook for Students and Parents for a complete listing of FERPA rules.

Dropping a Course

If college students are doing poorly in the class, they may wish to withdraw. Students who withdraw from a college class before the official drop date will receive a W (no grade) on their transcript. When students withdraw from a class they may no longer attend the class or receive any college credit. Students may drop a dual credit course and return to a regular high school course at any time before the NCTC final drop date.  The dual credit instructor will notify students of the final drop date on the syllabus or the date can be obtained from the NCTC website. 

Dual credit students must contact their high school counselor before withdrawing from a class. This action will insure graduation requirements can still be met without the college course credit. There is no penalty on the students’ high school or college transcript for dropping a dual credit course.  Withdrawing from a class requires completion of the appropriate paperwork and doing so before the last date for course withdrawal.

Tutorial Assistance

Tutorial assistance is available to all students. These services can be accessed ONLINE or students can come to any on campus tutoring center during scheduled hours.

Library Resources

While the resources of the high school library may meet most of the research needs of dual credit students, students may access the NCTC system as well. Every NCTC student is given an ID number by the Admissions Office. All students can use this to access the full resources of the NCTC library databases.  Students may also come in during regular library hours on any of the NCTC campuses. Please remember, NCTC is an institution of higher education and the college library provides materials that support and supplement the educational process. No effort is made to either censor or filter any materials from its collections.

College Transcript

The college credit students receive for successfully completing a dual credit course will always be part of the permanent college record. Whether it is now or later in life, this credit will be useful to students as they move forward with their education. Request Transcript - North Central Texas College