College Success: 5 Things You Need to Know About Dual Enrollment

United Way of Greater Los Angeles has proudly released the Dual Enrollment Toolkit for California high school students and their families to discover why dual enrollment is an educational opportunity that opens doors to all students to have an early start in college.

The toolkit —also available in Spanish— is the result of a collaborative effort with EdTrust-West, Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Unified School District, Public Advocates, The Campaign for College Opportunity, UNITE-LA and Cause IMPACTS to encourage students to explore why dual enrollment is a game changer.

“By providing comprehensive information, this toolkit empowers students and families to make well-informed decisions about participating in dual enrollment programs,” said Lupe Pasillas, Director, High School Outreach & Educational Partnerships at Long Beach City College (LBCC). The Spanish version is significant, particularly considering that Latino/Hispanic students comprise over 60% of LBCC’s dual enrollment population.”

1) What is Dual Enrollment?

Dual enrollment allows high school students to enroll in college courses and earn credits that count towards both high school and college graduation requirements. It is like getting a head start on their college education while they are still in high school.

2) Why Dual Enrollment is a Game Changer

Save Money: Tuition for dual enrollment classes is free for high school students! In some cases, they may need to pay for student fees, textbooks, materials, and transportation if taking dual enrollment classes on their own.

Save Time: Dual enrollment can help them finish college faster, transfer to a four-year school sooner, or even jumpstart their career and start earning money earlier.

3) Who Can Take Dual Enrollment Classes?

Dual enrollment is open to all high school students. There are no specific GPA or test score requirements to enroll. Regardless of their background, academic experience, or immigration status, they can participate. Some colleges even allow middle school students to join dual enrollment classes.

4) Benefits of Dual Enrollment:

Graduate High School: Students who participate in dual enrollment are more likely to graduate high school.

Enroll in College: Dual enrollment students are more likely to enroll in college.

Complete College Faster: These students often complete their college degrees faster.

Stand out on college applications: Dual enrollment classes look great on college applications. They show colleges that the student is ready for the challenge of college-level work. Plus, these classes can even boost their high school GPA and can improve their chances of getting accepted to a four-year university.

Explore academic interests. Dual enrollment allows students to explore college-level subjects and figure out what their field of interest is.

5) Data Snapshot

Research on the postsecondary outcomes of high school dual enrollment students shows positive results:

81% of dual enrollment students enrolled in college or university in the first year after high school, compared to the national average of 70%.

Students who took dual enrollment classes were more likely to finish their bachelor’s degrees in four years (36% vs. 34%). This advantage is even more significant for certain groups: low-income students were 8% more likely to graduate in four years, Black students were 11% more likely, and Hispanic students were 6% more likely.

Dual enrollment is a valuable opportunity for students to advance in their education and prepare for the future. If you are an educator, parent, or guardian of a high school student, encourage them to find out if dual enrollment is right for them by downloading the toolkit here.

To access a PowerPoint presentation of the Dual Enrolment Toolkit and other college resources, visit https://unitedwayla.org/community-college-success-resources/.

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