What is Dual Credit?

Dual credit is a statewide program for eligible high school students who want to explore college courses while receiving high school elective credit. In most cases, the college courses and books are FREE to students. (Check with your Dual Credit office for details.)

Who Qualifies?

To be eligible for the Dual Credit Program, you must:

• be a high school junior or senior
• be enrolled at least half-time in a school district that has a Dual Credit agreement with DACC
• maintain a minimum high school grade point average of 2.0
• pass two of three areas of the COMPASS test OR have an ACT composite of 15
• maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in  your dual credit courses to continue in the program

What else should I know?

If you think you are interested in dual credit and meet the eligibility requirements, discuss the following with your high school counselor and parent (or guardian) prior to enrolling:

• You can take courses that are on the approved course list (see below) with your high school.
• For every three credit DACC course taken, you accumulate one high school elective credit.
• Dual credit students are not eligible for financial aid.
• DACC’s academic calendar starts and ends at different dates than high school calendars. You are required to attend DACC courses even if your high school is not in session for a particular day.
• Grades earned through dual credit enrollment become part of your permanent academic record at your high school, DACC/NMSU, and most other post-secondary institutions you attend.
• In most cases, you must provide your own transportation to and from the DACC campus. If you park a car at the DACC central campus, you need to purchase an NMSU parking sticker.
• Enrolling in college courses is a big commitment! Dual credit provides many opportunities to pursue your interests, just be careful to balance community college courses with your other academic and extracurricular activities.