INDIANAPOLIS – Ivy Tech Community College enrolled 25,429 Indiana high school students in dual credit this past year, saving Indiana parents more than $12.2 million in tuition costs.  This year’s dual credit enrollment represents a 20 percent increase in students, compared to the 21,126 high school students enrolled last year.

The 25,429 high school students completed 117,474 credit hours.  Last year, dual credit students completed more than 100,000 credit hours saving Indiana parents more than $10 million in college tuition costs.

Ivy Tech’s dual credit program allows high school juniors and seniors to simultaneously earn both college credit at Ivy Tech and high school credit.  Dual credit courses are free to students, saving parents even more on their child’s college education.

The college currently offers dual credit programs in 300 Indiana high schools and career centers, an increase of about six percent compared to the 283 Indiana high schools and career centers serviced last year.  Approximately 98 percent of all Indiana high schools have the opportunity to participate Ivy Tech’s dual credit programs.  Dual credit plays an important role in strengthening the connection between high school and college, making the transition between sectors easier for students while providing high school students with a realistic understanding of college-level academic expectations.

“We’re excited to see an increasing number of students who take advantage of the dual credit opportunities at their high schools.  Ivy Tech’s dual credit program helps students prepare to attend college while saving Hoosier families money.” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder.  “We look forward to creating more dual credit opportunities for students and continuing to build partnerships with K-12 educators.”

Ivy Tech uses dual credit to encourage greater participation in higher education and to help students overcome real or perceived obstacles to higher education.

The most common form of Ivy Tech dual credit involves courses taught in a high school, by a high school instructor, and offered during the regular school day.  High school faculty who offer the dual credit course must meet credential requirements and participate in professional development provided by Ivy Tech. To reach a dual credit agreement for a course taught in a high school by a high school instructor, Ivy Tech works with the high school to establish that the high school class and the college class are identical, or if necessary, to suggest changes in order to qualify as a dual credit course. This process involves review of course content, lesson plans, textbooks, exams, assignments, facilities and equipment. Dual credit agreements are reviewed every year to promote collaboration and to ensure continuity of professional staff, course content, textbooks, and other key teaching and learning factors.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually.  Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.