Imagine earning credits at high school and college for only one course’s amount of work. That is the reality of dual enrollment. Students take a course at a “local higher education institution” and earn college credits while earning credits at Hershey High School. However, this isn’t as easy to achieve as some may think.

Dual enrollment should be more accessible to HHS students.

Students must jump through many hoops to achieve the privilege of dual enrollment. In addition to academic requirements, attendance, and behavior, students cannot take courses that Hershey High School already offers. This means that the courses students can take to receive credit on their high school transcripts are minimal.

For example, students cannot take a psychology course at a local college while earning credits for their transcript since Hershey offers psychology courses. Students may be drawn towards a college class instead of an AP course since to receive credit from a college course, you only have to pass the class, but for an AP class, you need to score well on the exam.

Additionally, some colleges don’t accept AP course credits, rendering the class meaningless. According to a study from Progressive Policy Institute, only 25% of colleges accept all AP credits, and 75% of schools only accept some.

A study from the Community College Research Center found that 88% of students who participate in dual enrollment go on to college and complete degrees in less time and at higher rates than those who do not participate. AP classes may not be accepted, and those who opt for dual enrollment instead have higher rates of accelerated graduation from college.

The page describing dual enrollment is hidden on Derry Township School District’s page, making it difficult for students to find. Students must click through multiple pages and then find the dual enrollment link amongst 16 other links just to find any information on the subject.

In districts like Lower Dauphin and Palmyra, information on dual enrollment is also complicated to find. Students need access to this information to take advantage of it.

Dual enrollment should be more accessible so that students can take advantage of it. Contact the Hershey High School counseling department to spark change in how these opportunities are made available to students.