Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS)
Frederick Community College (FCC)
Dual Enrollment 2025-26: Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dual Enrollment?
Dual Enrollment is an opportunity for high school students to take college courses and begin their path towards a college degree while in high school. Students are concurrently enrolled in FCPS and in college. FCPS offers selected FCC college classes at every high school, taught by FCPS faculty credentialed by FCC, known as High School-Based. Students may also elect to take college classes on campus at FCC or online, known as Open Campus. Many of the courses allow students to earn dual credit, awarding credits towards high school graduation and credit on a college transcript simultaneously. Some unique dual enrollment programs such as Early College at FCC and Career Pathways support dual enrollment students in the completion of an FCC degree or program of study while still in high school; these programs have capacity limitations on number of students and an application process. Visit the Dual Enrollment website to learn more about the various programs and opportunities available.
What constitutes a Pathway?
Students will be expected to identify broad areas of academic interest, future career paths, and plans for post-secondary education in order to enroll. In order for a college course to be approved, students will need to select a Meta Major to ensure they are taking meaningful academic programming, aligned to their interests and postsecondary goals. This is not the commitment of selecting a college major, but does provide tracking, accountability, and support for the transfer of college credits to post-secondary institutions.
Is Dual Enrollment tuition-free?
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requires that FCPS provides college and career pathways for all students who meet College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards. Dual enrollment is one of the pathway options, and starting in 11th grade, qualified students are eligible to access this pathway at no cost for up to four (4) college courses per school year. This includes tuition, books, and any other related fees for up to four courses per school year. FCPS pays FCC directly a discounted rate for these programs. Other post-CCR pathway options include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Career & Technical Education (CTE). All qualified students can access one or more of these post-CCR pathways to prepare them for success in college, career, and life.
What Dual Enrollment costs will FCPS cover?
High-School Based: Tuition, books, and fees for all classes, including at the Career and Technology Center and the Academy for the Fine Arts.
Open Campus: Tuition, books and fees for approved classes for 11th graders (up to two classes per year) and 12th graders (up to four classes per year). Students must be CCR or have a successful High School Based course to be eligible; courses must not be available to the student through the High School Based program; courses must be aligned in the student’s pathway; and students must be enrolled in the approved courses at FCC by August 1 (Fall) or December 15 (Spring). Students may have additional courses approved as part of their educational plan, but they will be responsible for the tuition and fees. Students participating in Early College at FCC or Career Pathways at the Monroe Center are not eligible for additional courses to be covered by FCPS through Open Campus.
Early College at FCC: Beginning in 2025-26, FCPS will cover 10 credits per semester covered. Students will need 15 credits per semester (Fall and Spring) to complete an associate degree, so FCPS covers about two thirds of the required coursework; families are responsible for the remaining costs each semester. Early College at FCC will have limited seats available, which will be prioritized for students from underrepresented groups in higher education. Other criteria for admission are considered.
Career Pathways at the Monroe Center: Beginning in 2025-26, FCPS will cover tuition and fees courses in their pathway program and fees for associated industry credentials and licensure covered. Career Pathways at the Monroe Center will have limited seats available, which will be prioritized for students from underrepresented groups in higher education. Other criteria for admission are considered.
For On Campus and Early College students, all books and materials are covered at no cost. For additional information, please visit refer to this flier.
Students are only eligible for one FCPS-funded pathway at FCC per school year (Open Campus, Career Pathways, or Early College at FCC). Students may participate in the High School Based at no cost, combined with Open Campus or Career Pathways.
Textbooks for all approved courses in Open Campus, Early College at FCC, and Career Pathways at the Monroe Center will be covered.
Income-eligible FCPS students may qualify for coverage for additional DE courses, as approved by FCPS.
What tuition or other costs are NOT covered?
- Classes taken Open Campus that are available at the student’s high school as High School Based without specific exemption for scheduling conflicts will not be covered. (Note: Students participating in Early College at FCC, Career Pathways, and the Open Campus+ Program (full day at FCC) will have coverage of classes within those program limits).
- Classes at colleges other than FCC are not eligible, as FCPS has an exclusive local agreement with FCC. However, students may still earn dual credit through courses at other institutions, if approved.
- Summer courses at FCC are not eligible to be covered. Students may take courses and earn dual credit, but they are responsible for the cost of summer coursework.
- FCPS will not cover the cost of a course that is not approved by FCC or the home high school. Course selection should be aligned to an identified pathway, future career goals, or the student’s Meta Major and future college goals.
- FCPS will not cover more than two (2) Open Campus courses for 11th graders and four (4) Open Campus courses for 12th graders. Students can be approved to take courses beyond this limit as part of their high school pathway, but they will be responsible for tuition and fees for these courses.
- FCPS will not cover Open Campus courses for 9th or 10th grade students. In certain cases, advanced students can be approved to take courses as part of their high school pathway, but they will be responsible for tuition and fees for these courses.
- FCPS will not cover the cost of retaking a course that has earned college credit, including for grade improvement purposes.
- FCPS will not cover the cost of taking a course again for unsuccessful course attempts (W or F final grades), unless an exception is approved by the high school or the Dual Enrollment office. Additionally, to ensure students have the support they need, students with a W (withdraw) or an F for a final grade will need to complete the FCPS DE Office Special Approvals Form to continue with the FCPS funded post-CCR pathway in Dual Enrollment.
- Students must be enrolled in FCPS to be eligible for this opportunity. Home instruction and private school students are not eligible.
Can students and families pay for Dual Enrollment courses outside of what FCPS will cover?
Yes. However, students must still go through the approval process at the school for any course they want to count as part of their scheduled high school day, for high school credit, or to appear on the high school transcript. Frederick Community College (FCC) offers a discount on tuition for high school students. Current tuition and fee rates for FCPS students (for 2024-2025) are $128.03 per college credit, with most college classes being 3-4 college credits (between $384 and $512 per class). Some classes have additional fees.
Are all students eligible for Dual Enrollment?
Students who have met the CCR standard are eligible to begin dual enrollment courses starting in their junior year of high school. Students who have yet to meet the CCR standard may be approved for some college courses if they meet FCC course qualifications and are approved by their high school. Students who wish to enroll in an FCC course on campus at FCC or online (Open Campus) must have either met the CCR standard or have prior successful experience in a high school based dual enrollment course.
Some students in Grades 9-10 may enroll in select high school based courses if they meet FCC course qualifications and if there are seats available. Priority goes to juniors and seniors in an identified post-CCR pathway, and space is typically limited. For access to open campus courses, 9th and 10th grade students must seek special approval from FCPS and FCC and will be responsible for the costs of tuition and fees for the courses. Middle school students are not eligible for Dual Enrollment. Please review this guidance for FCPS Dual Enrollment for 9th and 10th grade students.
How do students enroll?
Enrollment starts with a meeting with a high school counselor, as they will let students know what programs and courses they are eligible for and what aligns with their identified pathway and future college and career plans. Students must apply to FCC and then submit the Dual Enrollment Participation Form to their school counselor for approval. In this process, high schools process the enrollment for all high school based classes, while students pursuing Open Campus options at FCC will need to self-register through FCC.
What classes can students take?
Each high school has slightly different high school based offerings, and some classes require specific qualifications. High school counselors can inform students which course they are eligible for and best meet their needs. Through Open Campus, students have access to most of the courses offered at FCC.
Through the application process, all dual enrollment students are required to select a Meta Major to ensure they are taking meaningful academic programming, aligned to their interests and postsecondary goals.
How many classes can students take at one time?
FCPS requires high school students to be enrolled in at least four classes each semester, which can include a combination of FCPS and dual enrollment courses. Students who wish to enroll at or near full time in FCC courses (12 or more credits in one semester) will need to complete the FCPS DE approval form and meet with an FCC advisor prior to enrolling.
In order to support student success, FCPS will not approve students taking a combined total of more than six combined high school and college courses in any semester. FCC does not allow FCPS students to enroll in more than 18 credits in one semester without special approval.
Can students use their accommodations in their IEP or 504 plan in college courses?
For FCPS students with an IEP or 504 plan, it is important to know that accommodations do not automatically transfer or apply to FCC courses, even if the course is offered at the high school. If a student needs accommodations for a college course, they will need to go through FCC’s Disability Access Services (DAS) office. For more information, see this guide to DAS for FCPS students.
Is transportation provided?
High School Based courses can be accessed in the high school building, during the regular student day. For students who want to access programs at FCC, they will be responsible for providing their own transportation. Please complete the THS Parent Permission for Self Checkout form if your Dual Enrollment student plans to self check in/out of the front office to access programs at FCC. Return the completed form to Mrs. Gomez in the FCC Learning Center.
What if students have academic challenges in college courses?
Both FCPS and FCC are committed to supporting students as they access rigorous college level coursework. Students may access professors’ office hours and tutoring support through FCC. Because these are college courses, parents will not have access to grades or progress due to federal privacy regulations. As a result, it is critical for students to regularly check their FCC email, grades and communications from FCC, and develop strong time management and independent study skills.
In some cases, students may realize they are not quite ready for the commitment of a college class, and need to either withdraw from a course or receive an unsatisfactory grade. To ensure students have the support they need, students with a W (withdraw) or an F for a final grade will need to complete the FCPS DE Office Special Approvals Form to continue with the FCPS funded post-CCR pathway.
Do the credits transfer to four-year colleges and universities?
Maryland Public Universities accept all credits from Maryland Community Colleges. FCC has a strong reputation as an institution, so students report high rates of transfer success in private and regional schools. However, transfer can be a very complex process and each individual university or college will have its own transfer policies for dual enrollment credits. Here is a helpful transfer map for some of the most commonly taken FCC courses by FCPS students at a number of popular 4-year schools: Dual Enrollment Transfer Map.
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