Dual Enrollment Admission for High School Students

Dual Enrollment provides high school students with opportunities to earn college credit while working on their high school diploma. This program replaces ACCEL, HOPE-Dual Enrollment, and the previous program. In order to qualify as Dual Enrollment participants, all private and public high schools and home study programs within Georgia operating pursuant to O.C.G.A. §20-2-690(c) must submit a Dual Enrollment High School/Home Study Program Participation Agreement.

Eligibility Requirements

All high school students attending public or private high schools in Georgia or home school programs operated in accordance with O.C.G.A.§20-2-690(c) can participate in Dual Enrollment. There is no residence or citizenship requirement to participate in the program.

Eligible high school students may choose to pursue their high school diploma by:

• Completing required courses as listed on the Georgia Department of Education Required Course List, including two English, two math, two sciences, and two social studies courses; the associated end-of-course tests for each; and one health and physical education course. (These courses are normally taken during the 9th and 10th grades); and
• Enrolling at an eligible participating postsecondary institution and earning an associate degree, technical diploma, or two certificates in one specific career pathway.

Dual Enrollment students not interested in earning an associate degree, diploma, or two certificates may take any course listed on the Dual Enrollment Approved Course Directory. Approved classes may include degree-level or non-degree- level courses in the four main academic areas (English, math, science, and social studies), as well as electives and career, technical, and agricultural offerings. The courses students choose each term must be listed on their applications and must be approved by their high schools and the postsecondary institutions they will be attending.

Dual Enrollment Funding Application Process

Students attending an eligible public, private, or home school must complete the Dual Enrollment funding online application located on the website at www.GAfutures.org.

The GAfutures funding application must be completed online by the student and parent each academic year, and the counselor and college each semester prior to the college payment deadline specified in the Academic Calendar. The Georgia Student Finance Authority will review the funding application and pay the portion of tuition that the dual enrolled student is eligible for according to the Dual Enrollment Regulations which are found on the website at www.GAfutures.org.

In addition to completing the application process established by the Georgia Student Finance Authority, high school students must submit the following steps with the Dual Enrollment department at Athens Technical College.

• Submit a completed ATC admissions application for admission. (www.athenstech.edu/appy-now)
• Submit the following items to dualenrollment@athenstech.edu for verification and to determine course eligibility.

• Official high school/HOPE GPA transcripts indicating that the student will be in the 10th through 12th grade while enrolled in the Dual Enrollment program at Athens Technical College.
  • 11th and 12th grade students interested in diploma or certificate programs must submit an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher after the completion of the 10th grade or other admission test score requirements.
  • 11th and 12th grade students interested in degree programs must submit a HOPE GPA of 2.6 or higher after the completion of the 10th grade or other admission test score requirements.
  • 10th grade students interested in diploma or certificate programs must submit an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher after the completion of the 9th grade or other admission test score requirements.
• College Transcript (from all colleges if previously dual-enrolled).
• Recommendation/Permission Form with signatures of applicants and parent/guardian.
• 10th grade students interested in degree programs that would like to receive dual enrollment funding must have a minimum SAT score of 1200 or a minimum ACT composite score of 26 in a single national test administration. Athens Technical College and Georgia Student Finance Commision (GSFC) must have the official test scores on file.

Home School students must complete the following steps:

• Submit a completed ATC admissions application for admission. (Apply Now – Athens Technical College)
• Submit the following items to dualenrollment@athenstech.edu for verification and to determine course eligibility.
  • High School Transcript
  • Home School Declaration of Intent
  • Test scores for admission - Accuplacer, ACT, or SAT (contact testing @athenstech.edu to schedule the Accuplacer) 
  • College Transcript (from all colleges if previously dual-enrolled).
  • Recommendation/Permission Form with signatures of applicant and parent/guardian.
  • 10th grade students interested in degree programs that would like to receive dual enrollment funding must have a minimum SAT score of 1200 or a minimum ACT composite score of 26 in a single national test administration. Athens Technical College and Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) must have the official test scores on file. 

Applicants must gain regular admission status to participate in the Dual Enrollment program. Applicants whose test scores place them in learning support coursework are not eligible to participate in Dual Enrollment. After gaining admission to Athens Technical College, high school students must complete the New Student Orientation, Distance Education, and online GA-Futures funding application in order to register for their first semester at the college.

Students who meet all eligibility requirements will receive a student-specific award amount to be applied to tuition, mandatory fees, and books; the award is paid directly to the college. Students may incur expenses for course-related fees and supplies required for a particular course. Students are responsible for tuition, fees, and books for courses taken that are not on the Dual Enrollment Approved Course Directory and over the allowed 30 semester hours paid by Georgia Student Finance Commission.

Additional information on Dual Enrollment is available online. 

Students that would like to continue enrollment at Athens Technical College after high school graduation, please see General Admission Requirements.

For information on Financial Aid, please see Financial Aid Information.