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Dual Credit

High school graduates dressed in their robes throw their hats in the air

The Dual Credit Program

The Dual Credit Program provides students with the opportunity to take college-level courses on campus and graduate with over 110 college units. Taught by VCHS faculty, 31 courses are offered through four different colleges and universities (Fresno City College, West Hills Community College, William Jessup University, and Colorado Christian University) that give students a jump-start on college requirements.

How Our Classes are Approved to Earn College Credit

A VCHS teacher is reviewed and approved by the partner college/university to serve as an adjunct professor. This means that the VCHS teacher must hold a master’s degree and sufficient teaching experience to be qualified to teach at the college level.

Next, the high school course materials and content are carefully reviewed to confirm that the course taught at Valley Christian High School is of the same content and rigor as the course taught at the partner college/university. This can occur because most high school classes are spread out over the entire school year, whereas college courses are taught in just one semester. There are even some VCHS semester-long classes that cover the same material as a college-level class. VCHS may add some content and design how the material will be taught, as long as the course includes content and skills required at the partner college/university.

Finally, VCHS reviews each possible offering to determine how it might benefit our students. Courses that can fulfill general education coursework at most colleges are targeted. College counselors provide strategic advice on how each dual credit class might help students reach their college goals.

How to Sign Up

Students who have the opportunity to take a class for college credit are notified. VCHS is committed to educating families on the benefits and cost analysis of enrolling in a course for dual credit. Students are not required to sign up for the college credit option and are able to take any dual credit class for the normal high school graduation credit without college credit.

Once a student has decided to take the class for dual credit, the student must enroll at the partner college/university—the teacher will help explain how to enroll at the school. The dual credit fee is paid directly to VCHS.

The student completes the coursework during the regular school day. All coursework is submitted to the VCHS teacher.

At the end of the course, the teacher submits the grade earned in the class to the partner college/university. Students must contact the college/university directly to order a transcript—they are not automatically generated.
 

High School student dressed in white studies at his desk


Benefits to Dual Credit

Cost Benefit for Families

VCHS is thrilled to offer college courses on our campus for a faction of the cost that families would pay at a four-year college or university. On average, VCHS students pay $110 per college credit unit—a fraction of the cost for that same class on a 4-year college campus. The estimated cost of completing 60 units while at VCHS is $6,600.

Benefits for Dual Credit for an Honors Student

  • No other opportunity to earn college credits in an honors class
  • Provides freshmen and sophomores more chances to earn college credit
  • Honor students can still enroll in VCHS AP classes as they move through their course work, since the honors classes fulfill different credits than the AP classes
  • Students can start creating a strong college GPA, since concurrent credit classes allow students to earn actual letter grades instead of simply earning credit without an associated grade

Benefits for Dual Credit for an AP Student

  • Allows students to lower the number of AP exams they must cram for
  • Removes all of the weight on a high stakes exam determining your college credit
  • Students receive an official transcript, rather than a score that some schools won’t recognize
  • Students can start creating a strong college GPA, since concurrent credit classes allow students to earn actual letter grades instead of simply earning credit without an associated grade

Transfer to College at a Junior Status

Partnering with West Hills Community College, VCHS offers three liberal arts AA degrees that students can complete during high school and use to transfer to CSUs with junior status.

Three liberal arts AA Degree/Junior transfer tracks include:
—Area of Emphasis English & Communication
—Area of Emphasis Math & Science
—Area of Emphasis Arts & Humanities

High school four-year tracks to complete the first two years of college while at VCHS can be provided by academic counselors.

Other Benefits to Students

  • Access to community college prices during a time of state budget cuts and impacted community college campuses
  • Seniority in class selection and housing when beginning college based on units completed
  • Flexibility once at college
  • Take fewer credits in college/slower pace
  • Double major
  • Move onto a master’s degree without incurring as much debt
  • Enroll in a more expensive school for a shorter duration
     

Frequently Asked Questions