Dual Credit Quick Guide

This guide will assist you in submitting your online application to Gateway Community & Technical College for participation in dual credit classes. 

One of the first things you should do after being accepted into a dual credit course is to set up your student account. Your account will give you access to:

• Your college email
• Blackboard, an online tool that you’ll use in most of your college courses
• The Student Self-Service, your one-stop shop for school records and information
• Campus computers

How to set up your account

Setting up your account is easy. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Your birth month and day
• Your KCTCS Student ID (it’s the nine-digit code at the top left corner of your schedule)
• Your personal email address (if you provided one when enrolling)

 Next, follow these steps:

1. Choose Current Students from the menu at the top of the page.
2. Scroll down and click on User Account Center.
3. Choose Setup your User Profile.
4. Enter your birth month and day.
5. Enter your KCTCS Student ID, then click Next.
6. Verify your identity by having a code sent to your personal email or cell phone. (Don’t have an email or phone number listed with us? Contact the Help Desk or see the Information Commons.)
7. Once you’ve verified your identity, choose and answer three security questions.
8. Finally, you’ll receive your user name and create your password!
   Note: Your user name will be the first letter of your first name, your last name and a series of four numbers. For example: bsmith0012.

How to log into your account

Now that your account is set up, you’re ready to log in! Here’s how.

1. Click on Current Students from the menu at the top of the page.
2. Scroll down and choose My Path.

How to reset your password

Did you forget your password, or are you a returning student? Here’s how to reset your access.

1. Click on Current Students from the menu at the top of the page.
2. Scroll down and choose User Account Center.
3. Click on Reset Password.

KCTCS EMAIL

Check your KCTCS email account on a regular basis! That’s how we’ll communicate with you, so you’ll want to check it often to make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Being a college student is different than what you are used to as a high school student. We want to make sure you are prepared and ask that you review the content on the following web pages so you have a better understanding of dual credit requirements, what it means to be enrolled in college and the resources available to you. At the bottom of this page is a check list for you to fill out and submit as proof of you having read the material.

General Information

• Dual Credit Basics
• Eligibility Requirements
• Cost & Scholarship Information
• Dual Credit Pathways

Student Resources

• Accommodations
• Blackboard Access
• Campus and Online Requirements
• Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course
• Enrollment Checklist
• Financial Aid Considerations
• Glossary
• Grades
• Quick Reference Guides
• Requesting Transcripts
• Student Account Guide
• Code of Student Conduct
• Textbooks and Other Course Material
• Tutoring and Library Services
• Understanding your Syllabus
• Your Privacy

Orientation Form

By completing the Orientation Form, you are verifying that you have read and understand all of the above materials. Please contact your Dual Credit college contact with any questions.

Complete the Orientation Form

Each college has the ability to decide which courses are offered as dual credit per SACSCOC. Courses that qualify are included in the dual credit course list, which is referenced in the MOA. Students only receive dual credit for courses on the list.

The college submits its dual credit course list to the KCTCS System Office by the priority registration deadline for the approaching semester so the courses can be programmed into PeopleSoft. Students can’t enroll in a course for dual credit until the school district has signed the Dual Credit MOA and the MOA has been submitted to the KCTCS System Office along with the course list. 

Additional courses can be submitted to the system office on a monthly basis until the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) Snapshot deadline for capturing the college’s official data. KCTCS will not accept any additions after the CPE Snapshot.  

 

Adult Content

General education courses may have course content that is adult in nature. Course content can’t be modified in response to requests, but students and their parents or guardians are welcome to preview textbooks and course syllabi before the semester begins to see whether the class is appropriate for them.

Master Dual Credit Calendar 2024-2025

• Students receive letter grades for college courses (A, B, C, D, E, W, F). No numeric grade data will be submitted.
• Dual credit grades are applied to the student’s college and high school transcripts and are a permanent part of a student’s academic record.
• Per state policy, dual credit courses are governed by the college’s grading policy. Secondary schools awarding credit will use the college’s policy.
• Per KAR regulation 15:090: the course grade assigned by the college shall be used by the high school in calculating the KEES grade point average, and shall be included in the KEES calculation using a 5.0 point scale where 5.0 is an "A", 4.0 is a "B", 3.0 is a "C", 2.0 is a "D", and 1.0 is an "F".
• Colleges can’t change the deadlines for submitting and reporting grades. They also can’t accommodate requests for early grade submission to a high school. 

Think you can’t afford to take a college class? Think again. Get college credit through reduced tuition or a scholarship now so you can get out of college and into the workforce faster.

COST

The tuition rate for dual credit courses is established through the Kentucky legislature. It is currently set at 1/2 (50%) of the KCTCS in-state tuition cost. For details, see Tuition & Costs.

The discounted tuition rate only applies to dual credit courses offered by the college. If you want to take a course that is not part of the dual credit program, you may enroll as a dually enrolled student if you meet the admission requirements for non-degree/non-credential students. You will be charged the standard KCTCS tuition rate for dual enrollment courses. 

You will receive a bill for the dual credit courses you take that are not covered by a scholarship.

In an effort to make sure that your bill accounts for scholarship funding, we wait to send dual credit bills until mid-October (for the fall semester) and mid-March (for the spring semester). However, if we have not received information about your scholarship by the established deadlines, a bill will be generated.

You are responsible for classroom costs that are not covered by tuition or by your high school or school district, such as textbooks and online material.

 
Textbooks and Course Material

Some high schools provide students with books and materials for dual credit courses, while others don’t. Ultimately, you are responsible for getting access to all the textbooks and other materials you need for your courses. Some material may be available electronically as digital content. Digital content charges are separate from tuition, and you are responsible for these charges unless your high school or school district pays for them.

 

Student Holds!

A hold is placed on your academic record when you have an outstanding obligation such as an unpaid bill or inaccurate information on your account. The hold is released when you have met the obligation. If you have a hold on your record, you will not be allowed to register for classes, or receive any other services from the college until the hold is released.

If you have a hold on your account, contact your counselor/advisor as soon as possible—they’re here to help.

DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Two state scholarships are available to help pay your tuition for eligible dual credit courses:

1. Work Ready Dual Credit Kentucky Scholarship
   
   • Pays for two technical education classes a year, for a total of eight classes
   • Available to Kentucky residents attending Kentucky public high schools and some private high schools
     
     
2. Dual Credit Scholarship
   
   • Pays for two general education courses each year for Juniors and Seniors for a total of four scholarships
   • Available to Juniors and Seniors at Kentucky public or private high schools or home schools

These scholarships are administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). The application is not available until your high school has submitted your information to KHEAA. The deadlines are:

                                           High School                 Student 

Fall                                      September 15              October 1

Spring                                  February 1                   March 1

 

Your high school will notify KHEAA if you are eligible for either scholarship according to the deadlines listed above. Once your school has submitted the information to KHEAA, you’ll be able to access your KHEAA account to indicate when and where you want to use your scholarship. You must set your preference in order for your college to receive the scholarship award.  Otherwise, the college will not be able to apply the scholarship to your account and you will be responsible for the balance.

Questions about the scholarship? Please call KHEAA at (800) 928-8926. 

 

Admission requirements

Students have to meet a few requirements to enroll in dual credit at KCTCS. Some of the requirements are set by the state, while others fall under KCTCS policies.

State Requirements

Kentucky’s dual credit policy requires dual credit students to:

• Be enrolled in a participating secondary school. Exceptions may be considered if you are recommended by the school faculty and approved by the college’s chief academic officer. Colleges may also provide dual credit to eligible students in private secondary schools and home school settings.
• Meet the college’s dual credit requirements for admission.
• Be admitted to the participating college as a dual credit student.
• Meet the requirements for placement into college credit-bearing courses or courses in programs of study that align to a career pathway.
• Complete the college’s application for admission and a dual credit form.

KCTCS Requirements

To participate in dual credit courses at KCTCS, you will need to:

• Complete the application for admission.
• Meet KCTCS Assessment & Placement requirements for dual credit high school students (see below for more information).
• Fulfill the prerequisites for your courses.
• Be admitted to the college.
• Enroll in one or more eligible dual credit courses.

Homeschooled Students

If you are a Kentucky homeschooled high school student, you can enroll in dual credit courses if you meet the Dual Credit Assessment & Placement requirements and submit a transcript showing your current grade level. Once you’ve completed your senior year of high school, you are no longer eligible to enroll as a dual credit student.

Assessment & Placement

Students must meet KCTCS Dual Credit Assessment & Placement requirements before you can enroll in one or more dual credit courses. The requirements vary depending on whether you’re taking general education or technical classes.

To help maximize high school student success in dual credit courses and subsequent college/university coursework upon high school graduation, and to maintain the integrity of college-level coursework, this policy has been developed to assess and place 9th through 12th grade high school students in dual credit classes. All KCTCS Colleges will follow these guidelines as written, which align closely with the CPE Admissions and Placement Regulation and align with but do not completely match the general provisions of the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy. Limited admissions programs such as Early or Middle College programs will follow those program admission requirements.

Dual Credit Assessment & Placement Policy

As per KHEAA policy, the Dual Credit and Work Ready Kentucky Scholarships may not be used for a course which previously received a scholarship. So, if a student earned an E, F, I or W, they may not use either scholarship to repeat the course. Note that KHEAA success policy is different from KCTCS dual credit course success practices as shown below.

Requirements for enrollment into Dual Credit Courses

Dual credit students must meet the CPE college readiness indicator appropriate for any course for which they enroll AND any course-specific requirements noted in the KCTCS course catalog. Students can use their unweighted GPA or an approved assessment, such as the ACT, to meet the enrollment requirements. (Additional placement tests are listed below.)

¹AND any course-specific requirements noted in the KCTCS course catalog

² MAT 116, 110 and 105
³ MAT  126, 141, 146, 151 and 150 with 100 corequisite 
Exception: Dual credit students in the 12th grade who assess/place into an English, Math or Reading course with a supplemental course may enroll in that option if offered by their KCTCS College for dual credit. Both courses are eligible for any available dual credit tuition waiver and dual credit scholarship. All other students must meet the established readiness indicators to enroll in an English, Math, or Reading course.

3.3 Addendum for Enrollment into Technical Education Dual Credit Courses: Students who do not have the minimum unweighted cumulative high school 2.0 GPA the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy requires for enrollment into technical course work may enroll in technical courses through:

• An ACT Composite Score of 16
• OR ACT Mathematics 16 AND Reading 16;
• OR any accepted equivalent from the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy
• AND any course-specific requirements noted in the KCTCS course catalog

Ninth grade students who do not have a GPA may enroll in one technical course per semester that does not have a placement requirement with the recommendation of the High School Administrator.

Approved Placement Tests:

• ACT
• Accuplacer
• ALEKS PPL
• EdReady
• KYOTE
• SAT
• Wonderlic

Visit the full KCTCS Assessment & Placement Policy to view placement levels in Section 3.3 for common assessments. Note: individual colleges may accept additional assessments for placement.