This document summarizes information about starting college courses in high school through Advanced Placement (AP) programs and dual credit courses. It finds that AP and dual credit can both provide college credit but the acceptance of credits depends on the specific college or university. It provides details on costs of college, requirements for AP and dual credit courses, and factors for students to consider when deciding between the two options. Overall, it presents AP and dual credit as two pathways for students to earn college credit while still in high school.

1. Starting College in
High School

2. How does education pay?

3. College as an Investment
• The College Board, a not-for-
profit association, calculated in
a 2010 report (based on 2008
data) that a typical student who
enters a four-year college at
age 18 and borrows his way
through earns enough by age
33 to make up for his costs,
including foregone wages and
loan interest.
• In other words, the short term
sacrifices you make for a
college education are more
than repaid in the long term.Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/10/going-to-college-is-worth-it-even-if-you-drop-out/ on
September 18, 2014

4. College Cost
• “Consumer prices overall have grown by a factor of about 3.6 since 1978, but college tuition has grown by a factor of 12. All told, in the
2010-11 school year, the average cost of college was an astounding $27,435, according to the National Center for Education
Statistics.”,
• (Dylan Matthews, College is still a great investment. But it’s getting worse, September 11, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/09/11/college-is-still-a-great-investment-but-its-getting-worse/)
Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/10/going-to-college-is-worth-it-even-if-you-drop-out/ on
September 18, 2014

5. The Cost of College
Type of College
Average Published
Yearly Tuition and
Fees
Little Known Facts about the Cost of College
Public Two-Year
College (in-state
students)
$3,131 32 percent of all full-time students attend public two-year colleges.
Public Four-Year
College (in-state
students)
$8,655
About 56 percent of students enrolled at four-year colleges or
universities attend institutions that charge tuition and fees of less
than $9,000 per year.
Public Four-Year
College (out-of-state
students)
$21,706
38 percent of full-time students enrolled in public four-year
colleges and universities attend institutions that charge tuition and
fees between $3,000 and $6,000.
Private Four-Year
College
$29,056
While private four-year institutions have a much wider range of
tuition and fee charges, only about 9 percent of all students attend
colleges with tuition and fees totaling $33,000 or higher per year.
Retrieved from: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/college-costs/college-costs-faqs on September 18, 2014

6. How can you start college in
high school?

7. Navigating the AP Program

8. The AP Program
• Designed by the College Board
• Entry level college courses taught by high school
teachers
• Exam at the conclusion of the course allows the
student to demonstrate mastery of the course
content
• Scores of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam are typically
accepted for college credit.
• Depending on the university’s policy, exam
scores may count for 8-12 hours of college credit
• Examining university policies on accepting AP
Exam scores

9. Navigating Dual Credit the
Dual Credit Program
• By state law, dual credit college-
level academic credit is
transferable to public colleges in
Texas as either core or elective
credit.
• Credit may or may not be
accepted by private or out of state
institutions.
• Students are responsible for
determining whether their college
will accept credit in transfer.

11. Parent Responsibilities
Parent Responsibilities
In electing to participate in a dual
credit course, the student and
his/her parents must comply with
dual credit procedures and
policies.
• Review GPISD Dual Credit
Handbook
• Sign GPISD Dual Credit
Application
• Understand that Dual Credit is
College Credit
Student Expectations
In all matters related to the dual credit
course, students are held to the standards,
expectations and regulations of our
partnering higher education institutions.
• Academic standards
• Attendance requirements
• Grading procedures and discipline
procedures (including appeals are
under the jurisdiction of the partnering
higher education institution)

12. GPISD Dual Credit
Grading Policies
• Progress reports and report card
grades are NOT issued during the
course of the semester.
• Instructors will ONLY
communicate with the student
about his/her course grades.
• Dual credit courses are exempt
from UIL eligibility rules.
• Dual credit courses receive a
weighted grade point for
determining high school GPA.
• GPISD final exam exemptions are
not available for dual credit
courses.
Students are awarded the grade earned from
the college as a letter grade using the District
letter equivalent for the actual numerical grade
received.
College Letter
Grade
GPISD Equivalent
Numerical Grade
A 95
B 85
C 75
D 69
F 60

14. Dual Credit Documents
• Dual Credit
Handbook
• Course Articulation
Agreements
• Dual Credit
Enrollment Form
• GPISD Dual Credit
Application
• ApplyTexas
Application

16. VS.
• Dual credit is awarded to students
when they earn a passing grade in a
college course. The college credit is
reflected on the transcript from the
college with which the district has
established an MOU. It is up to any
other accepting college/university to
determine whether dual credit
coursework will be honored.
• Credit for test scores on Advanced
Placement (AP) exams is awarded
to students at the discretion of the
receiving institution based on test
scores of 3 or higher. It is up to the
accepting college/university to
determine how the AP credit will be
awarded.

17. IT DEPENDS!
• What are the goals of the student?
• What post secondary institution is of interest?
• What are the acceptance policies for AP exam scores and dual credit courses?
• What major is the student pursuing?
• AP AND DUAL CREDIT? Many students use a combination of these courses to match
their needs.
Which is Better?

18. Research Findings
Retrieved from: http://broadprize.org/symposium/2006BroadSymposiumRelationshipBetweenAPandCollegeGrad.pdf

21. For More Information
• Visit gpisd.org/CollegeReady
• Contact your high school college
& career counselor
• Sign up for Dual Credit updates &
reminders on Remind
• Follow us on twitter:
@GPCollegeReady
• Email the College Readiness
Department at
collegeready@gpisd.org