Ready for College and Already Ahead | Advantages of Dual Enrollment at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot
May 2024
written by Meredith Perry, Assistant Head of School
Starting with the 2020/21 school year, the Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School added Dual Enrollment coursework to the school’s overall curriculum pathway. Through dual enrollment programs, schools partner with community colleges to offer students the opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college credit while still in high school. BSH obtained certification to add courses for students on our campus. Some BSH faculty members received training and certification to teach dual enrollment courses, which require each teacher to earn 18 credits at the master’s degree level in the subject area they teach. Successful completion of a course allows the student to simultaneously obtain high school verified credit and college credit, provided their college of choice accepts the credit.
Dual Enrollment courses allow students to explore coursework at the college level and to test their interest in a particular area of study. Currently, BSH offers the following dual enrollment courses: Biology, Chemistry, and United States History. In addition to dual enrollment courses, BSH offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses to continue a rigorous pathway for students and provide an opportunity to obtain potential college credit. The AP courses currently available include: AP Art History, AP Environmental Science, AP Human Geography, AP Government and Politics, and AP Literature and Composition. BSH’s dual enrollment and AP programs work in tandem to academically challenge students.
Since the start of BSH’s program, students have earned a total of 519 hours, the equivalent of approximately 35 semesters of 15 college credit hours. The program has grown quickly. Since the start of BSH’s program, students have earned a total of 519 hours, the equivalent of approximately 35 semesters of 15 college credit hours. The first year, six students received nine credits; yet, now in only its fourth year, 18 students will receive a total of 126 credits. Challenging oneself through advanced coursework makes a positive impact on college admissions.
8 Advantages of Dual Enrollment Courses
- Earn early college credits
- Reduce college tuition expenses
- Reduce student loan debt
- Accelerate time to college degree
- Increase scholarship opportunities
- Gain exposure to rigor of college work
- Build academic confidence & strength
- Explore academic interests cost effectively