Is Dual Credit Right for You?

Things To Consider

Your goals, maturity level, academic ability and level of responsibility
Current performance in your high school classes
Your current course load and extracurricular activities

How is College Different From High School?

High School Classes	College Classes
Students are reminded frequently about when assignments are due and tests are scheduled	Students are responsible for knowing when all assignments and tests are due as outlined in the syllabus
Teachers provide outlines, notes and study guides	Students take their own notes and create their own study guides
Students have access to progress and grades at any time	Students monitor their own progress and often times need to calculate their own grades
Teachers cover all course content during class time	Students are responsible for learning material that is not presented in class
Teachers give tests over material and provide make-up exams and retakes	Students take fewer tests over a larger amount of material and are not always allowed to make-up or retake test
Grades are based on many assignments and tests	Grades are based on a small amount of assignments and/or tests
Parents have open communication with the teachers	Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), communication is between only the student and professor
Subject matters may be avoided to point instruction towards the high school population	College courses can deal with controversial issues or subject matter
Courses are taught by high school teachers	Courses are taught by college-credentialed faculty
Grades are part of your high school GPA	Grades earned are part of your permanent college transcript
Courses are taught at high school	Courses are taught at UTA
Only high school students in class	Share classroom with general population UTA students
Disability accommodations provided through I.E.P	Student must seek out accommodations and self-identify through the Office for Students with Disabilities

How is Dual Credit Different From AP?

	Dual Credit	Advanced Placement (AP)
Description	Allows students to earn college credit while still attending high school	Allows student to take college-level courses and exams to earn college credit or placement while still in high school
Credit	College credit earned with successful completion	Not guaranteed upon completion; must pass College Board AP exams with a score of 3 or higher
Teachers/Instructors	Courses are taught by college-credentialed faculty	Taught by high school teachers trained by College Board
College/University Acceptance	Accepted at public college and universities in Texas as well as many other colleges and university across the United States. Check with each college or university for more details.	Accepted throughout the nation. Check the policy at each college or university
Location	Taught on UTA main campus or online	Taught at the high school
Eligibility	Must be high school junior or senior Must qualify for dual credit admission Must meet TSI eligibility requirement	Open to any student
Cost	$50.00 per credit hour Cost of books, supplies, and parking (if applicable)	$94 for each AP Exam (Waivers may be available)