If you are the parent of a high school sophomore, junior or senior, you are probably navigating through ways to help your soon-to-be college student afford a solid education. For those of you with a few years left to map out a successful strategy, dual enrollment may be something you will want to consider.

Dual enrollment college courses help high school students (homeschool, public or private school) gain a solid foundation for college success. At the same time students are taking college level courses, parents usually see significant savings in the cost they pay for accredited Christian college courses. It is a win-win opportunity for parents to launch their children into a successful college experience while minding the checkbook along with the worldview their student/s will be taught from.

So how does the dual enrollment process work?

Dual Enrollment is defined on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_enrollment) as:

“Dual enrollment is advantageous to students because it allows them to get a head start on their college careers. In some cases, the student may even be able to attain an Associate of Arts or equivalent degree shortly before or after their high school graduation. Furthermore, participation in dual enrollment may ease the transition from high school to college by giving students a sense of what college academics are like. In addition, dual enrollment may be a cost-efficient way for students to accumulate college credits because courses are often paid for and taken through the local high school.” (Read the entire definition here)

Davis College provides a couple of creative ways for families to benefit from dual enrollment.

1. Teaching Sites: A number of Christian high schools in our region offer accredited Davis College courses to their students. The curriculum complements the goals of the school, since Davis College courses are taught from a biblical worldview, and meets the needs of students desiring accredited college courses that they can transfer to Davis College. Most Christian high schools partnering with Davis College will offer one or two courses in the Fall and Spring semesters.

2. LAUNCH! Dual Enrollment: LAUNCH! is a program Davis College offers to high school juniors and seniors. Beginning the summer of their sophomore high school year, students can take courses through their senior year that will allow them to finish their first year of college, while completing high school graduation requirements.

At Davis College, the cost for high school juniors and seniors taking accredited courses online is reduced to only $550 per course, a 51% discount off the regular cost. High school students taking courses on our main campus pay only $325 per accredited course, a 73% discount off the regular cost.

In summary, the LAUNCH! Dual Enrollment program at Davis College offers the following benefits for high school students and their parents:

• Accredited college courses offered at highly discounted rates for high school students enrolled online or on campus at Davis College.
• Credits are valid towards high school graduation, and for transfer to Davis College. (You may also choose to transfer credits to another college of your choice  – just be sure to verify with your high school and college to ensure they will accept transfer credits.)
• Parents save a significant amount of money.
• Students LAUNCH! into college with courses completed through this convenient, affordable and student-friendly dual enrollment option.

Ready to learn more? Visit www.davisny.edu/launch for program schedule and details or call 1.877.WHYDC4U (1.877.949.3248).