Nov 30, 2017

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Usually, in the heady days after receiving college acceptance notifications, students face a tough choice: picking the right school to attend. Inevitably, some will wish and wonder, "What if I could go to two at the same time?"
In many cases, the surprising answer is that you can. You may have heard the term "dual enrollment," which sometimes refers to high school students who are also taking classes at a local college. However, dual enrollment can also refer to students attending two colleges. Students can opt to simultaneously take classes at a community college and a four-year university. In some cases students also take classes at two four-year universities.
But, how does dual enrollment work? Also known as co-enrollment, simultaneous, cross or concurrent enrollment, students who study under this arrangement still choose one four-year school as their home (degree-granting) college. Any classes students take elsewhere should be transferred over to their main school to count toward graduation requirements.
"Co-enrollment receives considerably less attention than the traditional model of students transferring between community colleges and state universities," says Thomas L. Harnisch director of State Relations and Policy Analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). However, "co-enrollment offers exciting opportunities for students to have simultaneous access to college at the community college and university level," he says.
It does take a bit of careful strategizing to make sure you handle dual enrollment correctly. Still, after you do your homework on this approach, there are a number of very good reasons to consider attending two colleges at the same time.
By choosing concurrent enrollment you may:
A number of colleges actively promote programs that expand students' opportunities to take courses at their own campus and elsewhere. For instance, the University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene, sponsors an active dual enrollment program. Students can take classes at UO as well as at one of two partnering community colleges and live in the UO's residence halls, just like other full-time students.
"We want our students to earn their degrees in a cost-effective way," says Roger Thompson, UO's vice president for Student Services and Enrollment Management, "so we try to make it easy and affordable for them to enroll in whichever classes work best for them."
Beginning this fall, the University of Missouri (MU) in Columbia will debut a similar arrangement. A pilot group of 30 students in good academic standing at Moberly Area Community College, a local school, will be able to co-enroll at MU. Students will start by taking most of their courses at the community college and will also take up to six credit hours per term at MU. Students will live on-campus at MU for their first two years to help familiarize them with the university from which they'll eventually graduate.
"By having access to the four-year university right away, students may find that there is less of a gap in their jump from community college to the university," Harnisch says. "Mixing courses from the community college and state university can help familiarize students with the culture and demands of each institution and eliminate some of the potential fear of later fitting in at a new school.
Four-year universities that want their students to have access to a broad range of courses and faculty may offer "cross-registration" deals with other schools. This is a good thing to ask about when you apply for admission. For instance:
If you're considering concurrent enrollment, here are some important things to keep in mind:
With some smart planning, taking classes at two colleges at the same time can end up being a cost-effective and creative way to earn your college degree.