Information For:

Student & Parent Information

Introduction to Dual Credit

Dual credit courses are college-level courses that simultaneously earn both high school and transcripted KCTCS college credit that counts toward a college degree or credential.

Benefits of Taking Dual Credit Courses

There are many benefits gained by pursuing dual credit opportunities. General education courses will transfer to any public Kentucky college or university via the Kentucky General Education Transfer Policy. Technical courses can be used toward completion of a college credential (certificate, diploma or associate in applied science degrees). After certain courses, students will be eligible to sit for an industry credential or state certification/licensure. And, of course, taking the dual credit courses at a reduced tuition rate could save students and their families thousands of dollars.

Risks of Taking Dual Credit Courses

Likewise, there are some potential risks that students and their families should be aware of when it comes to taking dual credit courses. Although students take the dual credit courses at a reduced tuition rate, there may still some cost involved. Their admission to MCC as a dual credit student does not constitute full admission as a regular college student. Once the student has enrolled in a dual credit course, he or she will have a permanent college record by virtue of the college transcript. The grade they earn (A, B, C, D, E or W) will be a part of his or her permanent college record, for better or worse.

Long-Term Financial Aid Impact

Students are not eligible for state and federal financial aid while enrolled in high school. However, because they are recorded on the college transcript, grades earned for college courses taken while in high school can impact a student’s future financial aid.

Madisonville Community College offers dual credit in collaboration with the following high schools:

Caldwell County High School
Caldwell County Area Technology Center
Crittenden County High School
Dawson Springs High School
Hopkins County Central High School
Hopkins County Career & Technology Center
Madisonville North Hopkins High School
Muhlenberg County High School (West Campus)
Webster County High School
Webster County Area Technology Center

Placement Requirements for Dual Credit 2024-2025

Requirements for enrollment into general education 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. If a student uses a test score for placement, they must also have a high school GPA of 2.5. See the charts below for specific requirements.

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.

Requirements for enrollment into technical education dual credit courses

Students must meet:

A high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
OR 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

chart2

All students taking dual credit must have appropriate placement test scores or GPA and/or AP (Advanced Placement) results prior to registration. If you have not had one of these tests already or did not have the required score, you can use the high school GPA. Students may not register for any class until appropriate scores/GPA have been received.

Registration

The student must meet the placement requirements and any pre-requisites required for online dual credit classes. These are listed at the end of this document within the course list.

All students pursuing dual credit must complete the online dual credit admission application and FERPA form with student & parent signatures. This form must be presented to the MCC representative on registration day in order to register for the dual credit course(s).

These online classes are open to regular college students as well; therefore, they may fill to capacity before dual credit students register. Dual credit students are not guaranteed a seat in any online course.

Tuition

Tuition for 24-25 dual credit will be $94.50 per credit hour. Payment will be due by November 1 for fall, full year or first trimester classes, and due April 1 for spring and second and third trimester classes. (If students receive a scholarship to cover the cost then those funds will be applied directly to the student’s account, and they will not need to make a payment themselves.)

To Make Payments:

To pay by credit card, please contact Shauna Parker in the MCC Business Office at (270) 824-8584.
To pay by check, please make the check payable to Madisonville Community College. Include student’s name and student ID number and mail to

Madisonville Community College
Business Office
2000 College Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431

Advising and Transfer

Dual credit is most useful if it meets a requirement in the student’s college major. So, it is important for students to do some homework to make sure the dual credit they register for is going to meet a need for them in the future.

If a student is interested in completing a degree at Madisonville Community College, they can check our program websites to make sure their dual credit course is required for the program of their choice. On the MCC homepage https://madisonville.kctcs.edu/ click on Education & Training and then click Find Your Program. Scroll down to find a list of all MCC programs. Click on the program of interest to see requirements.

If a student intends to transfer to a baccalaureate institution, they should consult our transfer website by going to Quick Links and then Current Students then Academic Resources then Transfer Information. Student can find out how their chosen dual credit courses will transfer to the college and major of their choice.

Dual Credit Scholarships

There are two scholarships for which dual credit students may qualify. The Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship will cover tuition for two courses per year in general education subjects for juniors and seniors. Students may, however, take more than two dual credit courses at the 50% tuition rate, if they are willing to pay for them themselves. The Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship will cover tuition for up to two technical courses per year for freshmen through senior years. That gives each student a total of eight scholarshipped CTE courses over their four years in high school.

With both of these scholarships, a paired lecture and lab class will just use one scholarship, i.e. BIO 112 & BIO 113 or WLD 130 & WLD 131. Also, the scholarships are not limited to a certain number of credit hours in a course. So, use them for a lecture+lab pair, or a course that is worth more than the typical three credit hours (PLTW is four credits and calculus is five credits). So, students get more bang for their buck if they use the scholarships for higher credit hour courses or pairs.

chart2

Students may take additional dual credit courses at a discounted dual credit rate by paying out-of-pocket for coursework not covered by the scholarship program. The maximum amount a participating postsecondary institution can charge for dual credit courses during the 2024-2025 year is $94.50 per credit hour.

The student will begin the scholarship application process with their high school. The student will then be contacted by KHEAA directly to complete the application process on the KHEAA website. Students will be notified by KHEAA if they are awarded the scholarship.

Students must submit their scholarship information to KHEAA through MyKHEAA by:

Fall Semester: October 1
Spring Semester: March 1

For more information about dual credit scholarship programs, talk with your high school counselor or see the KHEAA website: https://www.kheaa.com/web/scholarships-grants.faces

For more information about dual credit opportunities, contact:

Janet Railey
Admissions Advisor/Dual Credit
Madisonville Community College
2000 College Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431
Telephone: 270-824-8576
Fax: 270-824-1866

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is an equal educational and employment opportunity institution.