Dual Enrollment Program

The Beaufort County School District and the Technical College of the Lowcountry are expanding dual enrollment opportunities for high school students who desire training in one or more specialized technical career programs. Career & Technical Education (CTE) Careers Certificates can provide students with the opportunity to enter the workforce in fewer than two years. This alignment between high school and the technical college career pathways also allows students opportunities to earn stackable credentials such as certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees.

• S.C. Commission of Higher Education requires for transferability purposes that students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average, unweighted, (on a 4.0 scale) based on the previous semester and as noted on the most current transcript to be considered for acceptance into dual enrollment classes in Beaufort County School District.
• Students must meet eligibility requirements on the ACCUPLACER, SAT or ACT in keeping with the BCSD Registration deadline. A copy of the qualifying test scores will be maintained in the student’s record (A9).
• Recommendation by the school counselor.
• Students’ parental consent to participate in the dual enrollment program.
• Approval of high school principal.
• The school principal has the authority to withdraw a student from the dual enrollment program at any time based on poor academic performance, attendance and/ or behavior.

What are the requirements and procedures for a BCSD student to Drop or Withdraw from a dual enrollment class?

The student is required to talk with their high school counselor before dropping or withdrawing from a course. The school counselor will also contact the parent/guardian prior to any drop or withdrawal from any course. The school principal has the authority to withdraw a student from the dual enrollment program at any time based on poor academic performance, attendance and/ or behavior.

Students who swap or drop a dual enrollment course at TCL must do so prior to the TCL authorized date for each semester. A grade of W (not WP or WF), awarded to students that drop prior to the published mid-term date will be interpreted and recorded on the BCSD transcript as a WP. A grade of W, awarded to students that drop after the published mid-term date, will be interpreted and recorded on the BCSD transcript as a 50. The student/ parent will be responsible for all fees for courses dropped after the swap/ drop date.

If the student drops or withdraws from a class leaving only one active class, the student/ parent is responsible for all tuition and fees for both classes (including textbooks) originally paid by the school district at the time of registration.

Dual credit for high school graduation requirements is limited to those college courses approved for transfer between South Carolina accredited, public, post-secondary institutions. Dual enrollment agreements exist between post-secondary institutions as approved by Beaufort County School District (BCSD) annually. The most current list of approved courses may be found on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website.

The expanded dual enrollment policy allows specific, comparable general education courses, and/or other courses leading to a two-year or certificate degree offered at post-secondary institutions to fulfill high school graduation requirements. Courses requiring an SC Department of Education SDE end-of-course exam will not be considered for dual enrollment. The course U.S. History and the Constitution is the exception to this criterion, however, students will be required to take the EOC exam for U.S. History after completing the post-secondary institution's courses.

Students taking dual credit courses are building two transcripts: the institution of higher education (IHE) transcript and the high school transcript. For example, if a student receives a final numeric grade of 92 in a dual credit course, the final numerical average should be transcribed on the high school transcript and correlated to the high school GPA quality points associated with that numerical average. The IHE GPA quality points for the college transcript may be different for the same numerical grade in the course when the IHE rules regarding quality points on the college transcript differ. (Guidelines: South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy).

If a student enrolls in college courses without prior approval from the principal, the course grades will not be entered on his/her high school transcript.

COURSE ACTIVITY CODE FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES

School Counselors will register dual enrollment students into the course required for graduation with a modified course activity code.

 

Beaufort County School District (BCSD) and Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) are entering into an expanded academic partnership to increase learning opportunities for students within Beaufort County School District.

This new dual enrollment partnership will enable qualified BCSD rising ninth grade students to enroll in a full-time dual enrollment cohort at TCL’s New River Campus or Beaufort Mather Campus. Each cohort will consist of a minimum of 20 students who will experience college-level degree seeking courses as high school students, taught by TCL instructors.

Student eligibility is based on the following:

• Enrolled in BCSD
• Must be a legal U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Must have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 unweighted scale)
• Additional criteria as determined by TCL Admissions and BCSD

 

Qualifying students attending Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and May River high schools will be eligible for the cohort housed on TCL’s New River Campus and will have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities and athletics at their home high school.

Qualifying students attending Whale Branch Early College High School (WBECHS) will be eligible for the cohort affiliated with TCL’s Beaufort Mather Campus. Qualifying students attending Beaufort and Battery Creek High Schools will be eligible for the cohort housed on TCL’s Beaufort Campus if they “Choice” into WBECHS, where they will have the opportunity to participate in WBECHS extra-curricular activities and athletics. (This allows for the Whale Branch Early College signature dual enrollment program to extend dual enrollment opportunities either directly at its campus or at TCL.)

These new dual enrollment cohorts will be identified as the BCSD Tides to reflect the deepened partnership between BCSD and TCL in providing cohort students with additional academic, workforce and economic opportunities. Recognizing the need of early high school student engagement through rigorous face-to-face instruction that meets the South Carolina requirements for a high school diploma, cohort students will be afforded avenues to college certification programs and degrees.

The first cohorts of ninth-grade students will choose an Associate Degree Pathway and earn a second potential degree.

 

BCSD Tides freshmen will declare one of two University Transfer Pathways as their “MAJOR”

• Associate of Arts: University Transfer Pathway
• Associate of Science: University Transfer Pathway

 

As the BCSD Tides cohorts progress to junior and senior high school status, students can take advantage of additional options to earn an Associate Degree in one of the following “MINORS”:

• Associate of Applied Science/Computer Technology-Programming
• Associate of Applied Science/Computer Technology-Networking
• Associate of Applied Science/Cybersecurity
• Associate of Applied Science/Business Administration
• Associate of Science/Allied Health Science
• Associate of Science/Allied Health Science - Medical Assisting
• Associate of Science/ Allied Health Science – Entrepreneurship/Small Business Certificate

 

BCSD Tides’ extended dual enrollment model is the cumulative result of both learning institutions’ commitment to elevating student learning experiences through transformative technology and exceptional teaching. A major provider of post-secondary education and workforce training for our region, TCL’s state-of-the-art technology, business, and health studies programming is aligned with BCSD’s commitment to provide graduates with post-secondary opportunities. For more information, please contact:

 

Taylor Welborn

TCL Director of Recruitment & Admissions

843-525-8336

dualenrollment@tcl.edu

 

Latoshia E. Middleton

BCSD Director of School Counseling

843-379-6918

latoshia.middleton@beaufort.k12.sc.us