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Dual Enrollment

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Earn College Credit While in High School

Start your college journey early with HCC's dual enrollment programs. Earn college credit while you're in high school—from a few credits to an associate degree—and save time on your path to college. Programs are available to public, private, and homeschooled students, with offerings that vary by Howard County high school.

Dual Enrollment for HCPSS Students

Explore career interests, experience college-level coursework, and earn college credit while you're in high school. Take one or two courses each semester at your high school or on the Howard Community College campus. Eligible students also have the option to attend HCC full time during their senior year.

Dual Enrollment Info for HCPSS Students

Dual Enrollment for Private, Homeschooled, and Out-of-County Students

Dual enrollment is also available to students who attend private schools, are homeschooled, or live outside Howard County. Learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Dual Enrollment Info for Non-HCPSS Students

Dual Enrollment Terminology

The table provides a reference of Dual Enrollment terminology along with each term's definition.
Term	Definition
Dual Enrollment	Any secondary school student enrolled in college courses through HCC.
JumpStart	Any dual enrollment student whose secondary school of attendance is a Howard County Public School System institution.
College Content (CC)	A course taught at an HCPSS school, taught by the high school with aligned content to the college course content. Students have the option to earn college credit for this course.
Dual Credit	A course, taught by either the high school or college, which may award credit towards both high school and college requirements. These courses are transcribed by both institutions. Students taking these courses during the fall, winter, and spring terms do not have the option to opt-out of dual transcription.
Early College Program	A structured program, with selective enrollment, where students earn high school and college credit simultaneously leading towards completion at both institutions. HCC-HCPSS has one Early College Program: the Early College Program in Cybersecurity.
Early College Pathways	A suggested progression of courses which could lead a student towards a designated program of study completion. More pathway information may be found on HCPSS's JumpStart webpage.
Middle College	A specialized program for students of promise, collaboratively working towards high school graduation and program requirements at HCC. The HCC-HCPSS Middle College program is being revamped with a goal of expanding opportunities in future academic years.