Ivy Tech's Dual Credit Program Exceeds 52,000 Students, Saves Hoosier Parents $40 Million
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Ivy Tech Community College’s dual credit program has reached a record enrollment with 52,908 students enrolled for the 2014-15 school year, saving Indiana students and their parents $40 million in tuition costs.
This year’s dual credit enrollment represents a 15.5 percent increase in students, compared to the 45,819 high school students enrolled last year and a 41 percent increase in students compared to the 37,505 students enrolled two years ago.
“In today’s ever-changing economy, students need a K–14 education more so than in years or generations prior,” says Thomas J. Snyder, president of Ivy Tech Community College. “Through Ivy Tech’s dual credit program, we are exposing students to college-ready material earlier in their educational journey thus making them more likely to continue on the path to higher education. Each year, we see an increase in interest for the program, which proves both students’ and parents’ commitment to higher education.”
Ivy Tech’s dual credit program allows high school students to simultaneously earn both college credit at Ivy Tech and high school credit. Dual credit courses are free to students, saving parents even more on their child’s college education.
The college currently offers dual credit programs in 419 Indiana high schools and career centers, up from 383 the year prior. Dual credit plays an important role in strengthening the connection between high school and college, making the transition between sectors easier for students while providing high school students with a realistic understanding of college-level academic expectations.
Ivy Tech uses dual credit to encourage greater participation in higher education and to help students overcome real or perceived obstacles to higher education.
The most common form of Ivy Tech dual credit involves courses taught in a high school, by a high school instructor, and offered during the regular school day. High school faculty who offer the dual credit course must meet credential requirements and participate in professional development provided by Ivy Tech. To reach a dual credit agreement for a course taught in a high school by a high school instructor, Ivy Tech works with the high school to establish that the high school class and the college class are identical, or if necessary, to suggest changes in order for the course to qualify as a dual credit course. This process involves review of course content, lesson plans, textbooks, exams, assignments, facilities and equipment. Dual credit agreements are reviewed every year to promote collaboration and to ensure continuity of professional staff, course content, textbooks and other key teaching and learning factors.
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.