Dual Credit Program

Successful completion of these courses also allows high school students the opportunity to make substantial progress toward their college education before finishing high school.

• Who is Eligible?
• How do I Qualify?
• What is the Impact on High School?
• How do I Apply?
• What Courses am I Eligible to Take?
• How do I Register for Classes?
• What is the Cost?
• How do I Pay?
• Will My Courses Transfer to Another College?
• What about International Students? 

Who is Eligible?

With the permission of their high school or home school association, qualified high school students attending schools in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties are eligible to enroll in college-level courses at Trident Technical College.

For the most part, dual credit opportunities are limited to junior and senior students. Exceptions may be made for freshman or sophomore students at the request of the high school or the governing home school association. When exceptions are made for younger students, documentation of the student’s exceptional ability to undertake college-level coursework must be provided by the school and retained in the student’s college file.

How Do I Qualify?

To qualify, students taking courses for dual credit must meet the same requirements for enrollment into an individual course as other college students. Enrollment into most entry-level courses requires proof of academic readiness as indicated on the SAT, ACT or TTC Placement Test. 

Students with SAT/ACT scores must take the math component of the TTC Placement Test for placement into upper-level math courses (higher than MAT 110 College Algebra)

What is the Impact on High School?

Student performance in dual credit courses will directly affect the student’s high school records and graduation requirements.

Students will earn one unit toward their high school diploma for each 3-credit hour college course they successfully complete.

TTC will report the earned numeric grade for each student to the respective high school or home school association. South Carolina school districts are required to calculate the earned numeric grade into the student’s GPR. In calculating the GPR, college-level dual credit courses are weighted the same as high school AP- and IB-level courses and receive an additional one point weighting.

Please note: It is possible for students to receive two different letter grades for the same course. For example, in accordance with the appropriate grading scales, a grade of 90 will be reflected on the student’s TTC transcript as a B and on the high school transcript as a 90/A.

How Do I Apply?

Qualified students who wish to participate in the Dual Credit program must:

• Have permission from the high school or governing home school association for any desired course.

• Complete and submit a Dual Credit application (apply online here).There is no application fee. 

• Submit Dual Credit Signature Page and qualifying test scores.

  • The Dual Credit Signature Page must be signed by the high school principal or school counselor indicating permission to enroll in specified TTC courses.
    
    
  • In the case of an applicant from a home school, the Signature Page must be signed by an administrator from the governing home school association.

Please submit Signature Page and test scores to the Division of School and Community Initiatives. Applications are processed within 48 business hours. The next step is registration!

Incomplete applications will not be processed and students will not be able to register for classes and obtain a TTC student account until the application is fully processed and entered into TTC’s database.

What Courses am I Eligible to Take?

Students interested in dual enrollment programs are allowed to take any college-level course offered at TTC as long as the student meets the prerequisite requirements and receives approval from their high school/home school association to take the course(s).

Most college-level courses are available to dual credit students. The following courses are not permitted for dual enrollment:

• Courses that cannot be applied to an associate or baccalaureate degree (non-degree)

• Courses in programs with special admission and/or age-specific requirements

• Developmental studies (031, 032) and bridge courses (100 and some 101 courses)

How Do I Register for Classes?

Qualified students may enroll in courses that are offered at any of the five TTC campuses or two TTC sites, at their participating high school, or through TTC’s Online College. With the permission of the high school or governing home school association, these courses may be taken before, during or after school, or during the summer.

• Registration for students taking courses on the high school campus will be handled by the student’s high school.

• Registration for students taking courses online or at a TTC campus or site must be requested by the student, following the steps below.

  • STEP 1: View available course options through the Course Search webpage for each semester.

  • STEP 2:Students can submit an online Dual Enrollment Add/Drop Request form to request registration for classes for their desired term/semester. This form is connected to the student’s my.tridenttech.edu portal account – only the student can complete and submit this form.

  • Students will receive notification via the my.tridenttech.edu student portal email once registration has been approved and processed.

What is the Cost?

Students taking courses for dual credit are responsible for the cost of their tuition and books unless otherwise directed by their high school.

• If the course is taught by TTC faculty, tuition is assessed at the regular per-credit-hour rate applicable during the semester in which the student is enrolled. Click here to view the tuition and fees chart.

• If the course is taught by qualified high school faculty as a part of their regular teaching responsibilities at the high school, tuition is significantly reduced.

There are two types of financial assistance available to high school students:

1. SC Lottery Tuition Assistance currently covers nearly half of the total cost of tuition for students who qualify. It does NOT cover textbooks. SCLTA is available to students who meet the following qualifications:

• Must be enrolled in at least six college credit hours within the same semester.

• Must have lived in SC for 12 consecutive months prior to enrollment (Residency status may be appealed by contacting the Division of School and Community Initiatives at dualenrollment@tridenttech.edu).

Students do not need to apply for lottery assistance while they are enrolled in high school.

After high school graduation, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to continue receiving lottery assistance. Please see Financial Aid for information regarding the SC Lottery Tuition Assistance Program.

The amount of lottery-funded tuition assistance is set by the state prior to the beginning of each semester. Students are responsible for paying any portion of the tuition not covered by lottery assistance.

2. Need-based scholarships may be available to high school students enrolled in at least six credit-hours per semester who qualify for free- or reduced-lunch programs and maintain a college GPA of 2.0 or higher. Verification of a student’s free- or reduced- lunch status must be provided by the high school counselor or school administrator. Please see your school counselor to apply. If you are a home schooled student, please contact the Division of School and Community Initiatives to find out how to apply for the need-based scholarship.

Students who are no longer identified as high school students by their high school are not eligible for need-based scholarships.

How do I Pay?

Tuition for dual credit students is due before the end of the semester in which the student is enrolled. Payment can be made online through the student’s my.tridenttech.edu portal account (TTC Express for Credit Students > Financial Information > Student Account Activity and Make a Payment) or at the Business Office at any campus.

Students and their parents are responsible for reviewing the student’s account and ensuring payment.

SC Lottery Tuition Assistance will not be awarded to student accounts until well after the semester begins. Students who are eligible to receive SCLTA are not expected to make tuition payment until the award has been posted to their account. Students and parents should continue to monitor their account and ensure payment once the LTA award has been made. For questions or concerns regarding billing, contact the Division of School and Community Initiatives at 843-574-6061.

NOTE: Students who fail to make payment will not be registered for courses in subsequent terms. Additionally, TTC will withhold college transcripts until all payments have been made.

Will My Courses Transfer to Another College?

Most general education dual credit courses transfer to colleges and universities across the nation because TTC is a regionally accredited college. In addition, many applied technical or professional dual credit courses transfer to selected colleges and universities.

However, the receiving four-year college determines transferability of credits. Students assessing the transferability of dual credit courses should consult with the four-year institution to which they intend to transfer.

For more information regarding transferability of credits, visit our University Transfer page. 

What about International Students?

International high school students may be able to participate in dual enrollment programs, depending on their legal status in the U.S. However, these students may be charged out-of-state tuition costs, which can be higher than the normal rate for in-state, tricounty residents. Additionally, these students may not qualify for the eligible forms of financial assistance (SC Lottery, need-based scholarship) provided to qualified high school students.

For more information, please visit International Students or contact the International Admissions Coordinator in the Admissions office at 843-574-6921.