Editorial: Dual enrollment poses great benefits to high school students

High school students around the U.S. have the option of dual enrollment, or taking courses or programs that can earn them both high school and college credits.

Though there may be some people who don’t support the idea of dual enrollment, the reality is that dual enrollment is a great tool that high school students should take advantage of. It’s a great way to experience college courses firsthand while simultaneously saving money.

USD has the largest dual enrollment population of any region institution, Scott Pohlson, vice president of Marketing, Enrollment and University Relations said. According to the USD website, USD offers significantly more dual credit courses than ones offered to high school students at the Vermillion campus.

The credits offered at USD are very affordable, too — they cost much less than the price for actual college courses when the time comes to enroll. USD’s courses are offered at $40 per credit hour, a hefty reduction.

Another benefit to dual credit is that universities like USD may offer some courses not available in the high school curriculum.

It’s also a great recruitment process — students who go through the dual credit process may be more willing to choose USD. Because the students see firsthand what courses are like, they already know what to expect and might consider continuing their education at the university, depending on their experience.

Students in high school not only have the opportunity to experience a college course setting, which makes them more prepared when actually attending college, but also can take advantage of an early start to their higher education.

Given the fact that the students’ credits will increase, they might have the opportunity to graduate early.

“Our thought on that is if you were to graduate early, you could keep a scholarship for four years and apply it towards graduate school with us,” Pohlson said, “which is another benefit to a student.”

There are some downsides to dual enrollment that may come up, such as the fact that courses might become a bit challenging. High school students, can also be questionable on their maturity levels — they may not be ready to handle college-level work.

But these are minor concerns. Challenging high school students will ultimately benefit their work ethic and their time in college.

“You’re going to see the students that want to challenge themselves and take those courses,” Pohlson said. “Most of the time, they’re probably okay and ready for them.”

Pohlson said one thing USD could start doing to better the dual enrollment programs is determine how many credits students should be able to receive through the program and, once they’re in college, how to integrate those credits with overall graduate requirements.

Besides that, Pohlson said he “doesn’t see what the issue is” when students consider dual enrollment, and thinks every student considering college should look into it.

By offering college courses to high schoolers at a reduced cost, USD is showing the community that it cares more about providing a well-rounded education to students rather than just using them as money makers — a welcomed gesture in an era of expensive higher education.