Dual Enrollment
Be ready for college before finishing high school!

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Discover the Benefits of Dual Enrollment

If you've excelled in high school and seek a greater challenge, Dual Enrollment might be the perfect opportunity to expand your academic horizons and get ahead in college coursework. If you've performed well in high school but feel uncertain about what college holds, early college provides the ideal transition, offering a supportive environment to help you navigate the next chapter of your education.

Taking a college course while in high school can have many benefits:

  • Boost your GPA upon successful completion of college courses.
  • Become comfortable with college course material, college faculty, and the college campus.
  • Learn what resources are available to you on a college campus.
  • Graduate high school with transferrable college credits, the confidence and strategies needed to earn a college degree.

Dual Enrollment Programs

Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP)

CDEP provides opportunities for Massachusetts high school students to take college-level courses for free or at a discounted price and earn credit toward high school completion and their future college degrees. Student eligibility for CDEP funding:

  • Be enrolled in a Massachusetts public secondary school or nonpublic school, including home school.
  • Meet all course prerequisites per the policies of the participating campus.
  • Be a Massachusetts resident.
  • May not have earned a GED or high school diploma.

To receive CDEP priority funding, students must meet the following criteria:

  • First Dual Enrollment course at WSU
  • First generation, economically disadvantaged, and/ or interested in STEM.
  • Successful completion of the course results in earned credits from the institution of higher education, as well as credits at your high school toward graduation or elective requirements for having completed the college-level course.
  • Students can enroll in a CDEP-funded course in the Spring and Summer I semesters.

Students who meet eligibility guidelines are not guaranteed participation. Participation is at the discretion of the participating institution of higher education, subject to capacity constraints and state appropriation.

Learn more about CDEP funding

Westfield State Dual Enrollment Program

Students can take a course here at WSU and earn college credits at a discounted rate.

  • Available to students currently enrolled in public, private, or home school grades 9-12.
  • You may enroll in a college-level course at Westfield State University, earning college credit, but do not earn high school credit concurrently.
  •  Courses are available at the High School Scholar rate and based on seat availability.
  • Students can enroll in a Westfield State dual enrollment course in the Fall, Spring, Summer I and Summer II.

What to Know and How to Apply

Things to know before you enroll
  1. To get started on your Dual Enrollment journey, speak with your high school counselor about your options. Your counselor will be able to assist you with the application process and communicate with the Early College Access Advisor about what programs and courses are available to you.
  2. If you are under the age of 18, and do not hold a high school diploma or GED, it is important for you and your family to understand that Financial Aid cannot be accessed.
  3. Along with the Dual Enrollment application and course registration form, a FERPA Release Form must also be submitted to the Early College Access Coordinator. A hold will exist on your student account until this form is received. Once received, our records will indicate that you are enrolled as an underage student, and any information regarding enrollment and coursework at Westfield State University may be shared with the parent or legal guardian named on the release form until the student turns 18. Information regarding your grades in college courses will also be shared with your school guidance office. This allows for college course grades and credit to also be applied to high school transcripts if you are in a Dual Enrollment program.
How to Apply for Dual Enrollment

1. Meet with your High School counselor to discuss your plans for Dual Enrollment.

  • It is important for your counselor to be involved with your Dual Enrollment application process to provide assistance.

2. Fill out the Dual Enrollment Application

  • Once this is submitted, the Early College Access Advisor will receive the application, begin their review of the courses that were selected in the application, and then reach back out with the next steps.
  • Please note that we cannot guarantee enrollment in your top choice course, so please select your top three choices to strengthen your chances of getting into one of those courses.
  • Be sure to include an email that will be checked frequently. We advise using personal email rather than a student email to prevent University emails from being blocked.
  • Students can request their high school transcript as well as their SASID from their high school counselors.

3. You will receive an email from the Early College Access Advisor regarding your application. So, keep an eye out for that email.

  • They will inform you about which course is available to take and help select the one course you would like to take for the semester.
  • Once the class is selected, the Access Advisor will send the link to the online Registration Form.

4. Fill out the Dual Enrollment Registration Form

  • From there we will register you for your selected course.

5. Look out for Dual Enrollment Welcome Orientation email.

  • This email will have your student information on how to set up your WSU portal, and it will provide you with your Campus Wide ID number as well as your course information.

Spring 2025 Application Coming Soon!

The spring 2025 application will be posted in November.

 

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