Dual Enrollement - How To

Both of our older children dual enrolled before being admitted to university here in Florida.  We had a good experience each time and plan to do this again with our younger daughters as well.  

To dual enroll at our county's community college (HCC), a student must have a 3.0 GPA and have taken the SAT/ACT.  The requirements on test scores vary depending on the classes they want to take.  So, for MAC 1105 the SAT math score must be equal or greater than 510.  In Florida, you are allowed to take nine credit hours per semester, which may be up to three classes.  They started out taking one class in the summer, and by the Spring semester in their senior year, they were taking the full nine credits.

Current test score requirements in Hillsborough County (HCC)










Some of the benefits of dual enrollment for our children as homeschoolers:

• Double credit for classes - high school and college
• Free college classes, although not free textbooks for homeschoolers
• Experience in a classroom environment with hard deadlines and multiple teachers
• Coming into college with these credits creates flexibility when deciding which classes to take
• May allow for early graduation from college
• May help with deciding on a career, less time wasted doing so after high school
• Opportunity to start accumulating college credit and building a solid GPA
• Dual enrollment experience adds value to high school transcript 

You should submit your application and paperwork at least thirty days in advance of the beginning of registration for the upcoming term.

Contact - Nancy - Very nice on the phone, (813) 253-7121 or (813) 253-7062

Email -  dualenrollment@hccfl.edu

Important Links

For Florida high school transcripts: Statewide Course Numbering System
To search the latest Florida statutes
Steps to apply in Hillsborough County
Course equivalency list
Find links to forms here: Dual Enrollement - HCC
Steps to apply (HCC)

Success!

What a year this has been.  In retrospect, I am thankful for many things.  We had a full year with ups and downs, as always.  Of my curriculum choices, I am very happy with a switch to BJU in math.  I had never used their math curriculum before for middle school.  I had stuck with Saxon Math for years.  It wasn't working so well with Michelle, and BJU was just right.  I've decided to break with Saxon, after so many years.  Their system of random review problems at the end of the lesson, with just a few practice exercises on what was taught that day really was confusing.  The traditional, incremental approach taught in the BJU program is excellent.  There are review problems at the end of each chapter, and this is still very important!  So, I am very happy to have taken the plunge.

I updated my SAT post with the latest news from a couple of months ago.  Michael won the National Merit Scholarship, and we are so happy!  He will be going to the University of South Florida, our local college, part of the Florida university system.  Because he plans on going to graduate school, this was the best choice for him financially.  Living at home, we will be saving a substantial amount of the scholarship money he will receive each semester and will be in good shape to pursue graduate work when he gets his bachelor's degree.

Looking ahead at 2016-17, because of work related issues, we may be having to spend some time in Maryland this summer.  There is a threat of strike at Don's company (Verizon), which means we will have to go up there at a moment's notice for him to fill in for an unknown length of time.  What this means is that I will have very little time to pack and run.  I plan on starting school on the first week of July this year in order to make up for this potential disruption...  not knowing when and for how long is the hardest part.