Dual Enrollment Admission for High School Students
Dual Enrollment Admission for High School Students
Dual Enrollment provides high school students with opportunities to earn college credit while in high school. 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 via the Accelerated Career Program by:
• Completing the required courses listed on the Georgia Department of Education Required Course List, including two English, two math, two science, two social studies, one health and physical education course, and the associated end-of-course tests for English and science (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 approved technical certificates of credit in one specific career pathway.
Dual Enrollment students not interested in the Accelerated Career Program may register for any course listed on the Dual Enrollment Approved Course Directory. Approved courses 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 education courses. The courses students choose to register for each term must be approved by their high schools and the postsecondary institutions they will be attending.
Dual Enrollment Funding Application Process
Dual Enrollment students attending an eligible public, private, or home school must complete the online Dual Enrollment funding application located on the GAfutures website (https://www.gafutures.org/).
The Dual Enrollment funding application must be completed online by the student and their parent/guardian each academic year. Each semester that the student is enrolled in college courses, the high school and the college must approve the funding application prior to the college’s payment deadline that is specified in the Academic Calendar. The Georgia Student Finance Authority will review the Dual Enrollment funding application and pay the portion of tuition that the dual enrolled student is eligible for according to the Dual Enrollment Regulations that are located on the GAfutures website.
- In addition to completing the Dual Enrollment funding application process established by the Georgia Student Finance Authority, high school students must complete the following steps with the Dual Enrollment department at Athens Technical College.
• Submit a completed ATC admissions application for admission (https://www.athenstech.edu/apply-now/)
• Submit the following items to dualenrollment@athenstech.edu for verification and to determine course eligibility.
- Official high school transcript 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 program courses 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 associate degree program courses must submit an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher after the completion of the 10th grade or other admission test score requirements.
- 10th grade students interested in diploma or certificate program courses must submit an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher after the completion of the 9th grade or other admission test score requirements.
- 10th grade students interested in associate degree program courses and 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 for funding to be awarded.
- 9th grade students interested in enrolling in the Dual Enrollment program must meet the same requirements as 10th grade students outlined above. No funding is available for 9th grade students for tuition, mandatory fees, textbooks, supplies, or course related fees. The students must pay 100% out of pocket for classes taken while in the 9th grade.
• Official College Transcript (from all colleges if previously dual-enrolled)
• Recommendation/Permission Form with signatures of applicant and parent/guardian
Home School students must complete the following steps:
• Submit a completed ATC admissions application for admission (https://www.athenstech.edu/apply-now/)
• Submit the following items to dualenrollment@athenstech.edu for verification and to determine course eligibility.
• Official high school transcript
• Home School Declaration of Intent
• Test scores for admission - ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT (contact testing@athenstech.edu to schedule the ACCUPLACER exam).
- 10th grade students interested in associate degree programs and 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 for funding to be awarded.
- 9th grade students interested in enrolling in the Dual Enrollment program must meet the same requirements as 10th grade students outlined above. No funding is available for 9th grade students for tuition, mandatory fees, supply or course related fees, or textbooks. The students must pay 100% out of pocket for classes taken while in the 9th grade.
- Official College Transcript (from all colleges if previously dual-enrolled)
- Recommendation/Permission Form with signatures of applicant and parent/guardian
Applicants must gain regular admission status to participate in the Dual Enrollment program. Applicants whose GPA and test scores place them in learning support coursework are not eligible to participate inDual Enrollment. After gaining admission to Athens Technical College, high school students must complete the New Student Orientation, E-Learning Orientation, and the online Dual Enrollment funding application.
Students who meet all eligibility requirements will receive a student-specific award amount to be applied to tuition, mandatory fees, and textbooks; 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 textbooks 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 at https://www.athenstech.edu/programs-courses/dual-enrollment/ and https://www.gafutures.org/.
Dual enrollment students that would like to continue enrollment at Athens Technical College after high school graduation, please visit https://www.athenstech.edu/apply-now/ and submit a Returning Student admissions application.
Joint Enrollment Admission for High School Students
Joint enrollment provides high school students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade the opportunity to take courses at public or private postsecondary institutions in Georgia while they are still enrolled at their high schools. They receive credit at the postsecondary institutions when they successfully complete coursework. Joint enrollment students do not earn credit to satisfy their high school graduation requirements. High school students wanting to enroll jointly at Athens Technical College must be at least 16 years old, have a minimum high school grade point average of 2.0, and submit the necessary documentation listed in the Dual Enrollment admission requirements section (https://www.athenstech.edu/programs-courses/dual-enrollment/).
Joint enrollment applicants must gain regular admission status to enroll at the college. High school students whose GPA and test scores place them in learning support coursework are not eligible to enroll jointly at the college. After gaining admission to Athens Technical College, joint enrollment students must complete the New Student Orientation and the E-Learning Orientation.
The Georgia Student Finance Commission provides funding through the HOPE Grant program for joint enrollment students who only take technical certificate or diploma-level courses at postsecondary institutions. Joint enrollment students are ineligible to receive financial assistance through the HOPE scholarship program. The credit hours attempted by joint enrollment students while in high school are used to determine the maximum hours for which the students can receive HOPE benefits.