ǿմý

Skip to main content
Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Dual Enrollment Programs

Dual enrollment programs enable high school students to earn college credit while building the knowledge and skills needed for college and career aspirations. Additionally, these programs can save students time and money in college and positively impact student outcomes, such as high school graduation and college enrollment, success, and completion.

Education Law §319 outlines partnership agreement and data reporting requirements for dual enrollment programs and provides the following definition of a dual enrollment program in New York State:

  • Dual Enrollment Program. Any program that is a partnership between at least one school district, charter school, or BOCES and at least one institution of higher education that provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college courses and earn transferable college credit from the institution or institutions while completing high school graduation and diploma requirements.

The requirements for dual enrollment programs that meet the above definition include:

  • Partnership Agreement. On or beforeSeptember 1, 2026, school districts, charter schools, and BOCES (P-12 partners) participating in a dual enrollment program must submit a partnership agreement with the institution or institutions of higher education with which they are partnered on a form developed by the ǿմý (ǿմý).Information about this requirement is available on the Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form webpage.
  • Data Reporting.Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, all P-12 and higher education partners must annually submit specified data to ǿմýregarding participation in and outcomes of their dual enrollment program. The data will be published on theǿմý websiteby January 1stof the subsequent school year. The specific data points in the collection are described on the Dual Enrollment Data Collection webpage.
  • College Courses.The college courses in dual enrollment programs must be offered for college credit by a partner institution of higher education; be listed in the institution’s course catalog; and have the same or comparable learning outcomes, content, objectives, instructional materials, methods of assessment, and level of rigor as other sections of the same college course regardless of location or mode of delivery.

The following FAQs provide detailed answers to questions about dual enrollment programs. Questions on this topic can also be sent to the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success (OPASS) at DE.NYS@nysed.gov.

Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ

1. When are college course opportunities for high school students considered “dual enrollment programs” in New York State?

According to Education Law §319, a dual enrollment program is:

  • Any program that is a partnership between at least one school district, charter school, or BOCES and at least one institution of higher education that provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college courses and earn transferable college credit from the institution or institutions while completing high school graduation and diploma requirements.

Based on the definition, dual enrollment programs are opportunities where high school students can enroll in one or more college courses. In these courses, the instructors are high school teachers who are approved by the higher education partner to teach the college courses or a college instructor employed by the higher education partner (e.g., faculty member, adjunct). Additionally, high school students earn college credit immediately upon successfully completing a course in a dual enrollment program.

The design of dual enrollment programs can vary greatly. For example, some dual enrollment programs may have structured pathways, programs of study, or intentionally offered college courses, consistent with research on best practices. Other dual enrollment programs may allow students to choose college courses from a college course catalog with minimal guidance from the school.

2. Are Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs considered dual enrollment programs?

No. High school students are not enrolled in college courses in those programs, which is a requirement in the definition of dual enrollment programs (please see Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ #1). They are taking high school courses instead of college courses. Therefore, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do not apply to those programs.

3. Some school districts, charter schools, or BOCES have an articulation agreement with an institution of higher education where students are able to earn college credit for high school courses only if they matriculate to the institution after high school (e.g., advanced standing, college credit for prior learning). Are these arrangements dual enrollment programs?

No. In this particular arrangement, high school students are not enrolled in college courses (e.g., courses are not taught by high school teachers who are approved by the higher education partner to teach the courses or by a college instructor employed by the higher education partner), which is a requirement in the definition of dual enrollment programs (please see Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ#1). Additionally, they do not earn college credit immediately upon successfully completing a course. The students are taking high school courses instead of college courses. Therefore, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do not apply to this type of articulation agreement.

Please note that some dual enrollment programs do have articulation agreements where high school students are enrolled in college courses as part of the arrangement, consistent with the definition of a dual enrollment program. In those cases, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do apply.

4. With which types of institutions of higher education can school districts, charter schools, and BOCES partner in a dual enrollment program?

School districts, charter schools, and BOCES can partner with the following types of institutions of higher education:

  • Accredited New York State institutions of higher education that are with the ǿմý (ǿմý), including CUNY, SUNY, independent, and proprietary institutions;
  • Accredited out-of-state institutions of higher education that have permission to operate with a physical presence in New York State;
  • Out-of-state institutions of higher education authorized to offer distance education in New York State (e.g., a college that is approved by its home state to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)); or
  • Other degree-granting institutions accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education that are acceptable to ǿմý (e.g., a college in a bordering state where New York State high school students take college courses on the out-of-state college campus).

Out-of-state institutions of higher education must have permission to operate in New York State if they would like to have their college courses taught in a New York State classroom by a high school teacher who is approved by the institution. Questions about the authorization of out-of-state institutions of higher education to operate in New York State can be sent to IHEAuthorize@nysed.gov.

5. Can students take college courses for high school credit and/or college credit in a dual enrollment program?

Yes. Studentsin dual enrollment programs typically take college courses for both high school credit and college credit. However, they could take coursesforcollege creditonly (e.g., students who have already met graduation requirements) or high school creditonly(e.g.,students whoseek advanced coursework but do not want to pay for college credit, if costs are associated with it).