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Information for High SChools
Student Eligibility
Number of Courses per Student
Covered Charges
Course Eligibility
Course Credit and GPA Guidelines
Arranging for Student Participation
Participating students must meet the following eligibility guidelines:
- Be enrolled in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 in a Massachusetts public secondary school or non-public school, including home school.
- Meet all course prerequisites per the policies of the participating campus.
- Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or demonstrate their potential for academic success through submission of evidence of steadily improving high school grades, high class rank, special talent, strong grades in the field of the CDEP course, strong recommendations, etc.
Although not a requirement for participation, the institutions of higher education are required to focus efforts on enrolling qualified students with particular emphasis on first-generation college students and students who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
Students who meet eligibility guidelines are not guaranteed participation. Participation is at the discretion of the participating institution of higher education and subject to capacity constraints.
A student with a high school diploma is not eligible to participate. This includes students who graduate in the spring of a given year and wish to enroll in a CDEP course held in the summer or any subsequent term.
Students may enroll in one or more courses per the discretion of the participating institution of higher education. Because college and universities are required to expand dual enrollment opportunities to as many students as possible per the available amount of state funding, students may be limited to the number of courses they can take.
Students do not pay tuition and fees for courses taken through CDEP. Students who demonstrate financial need may also receive additional assistance for books, supplies, and transportation. For more information, contact the CDEP coordinator at the participating institution of higher education.
Participating students may enroll in credit-bearing, college-level courses that:
- Are listed in the participating institution's course catalog.
- Are taught by college faculty.
- Take place on campus, online, or at a high school.
In order to promote transferability of credits earned, the Department of Higher Education and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education also strongly suggest that courses are included in the MassTransfer Block or, in the case of community colleges, are part of the curriculum of Associate's Degrees Eligible for MassTransfer.
Ineligible courses include:
- Remedial/developmental courses (including ESL courses).
- Non-credit courses.
- Physical education, fitness, or recreation courses.
- First-year orientation.
Course Credit and GPA Guidelines
Students must receive college and high school credit, documented on their college and high school transcripts, for the courses that they successfully complete. Institutions of higher education and high schools are responsible for establishing agreements that ensure that high school students receive credit from both the college and the high school for courses taken as part of CDEP. Students may be asked to collect signatures of college and high school administrators for this purpose.
Grades received in CDEP courses will receive additional weight in the calculation of applicants' weighted GPA for admission into Massachusetts public higher education institutions. The additional weight will be the same as that given for grades earned in Advanced Placement courses for the purpose of calculating the high school GPA. See the Department of Higher Education's Admissions Standards Guidebook (.PDF) for more information on calculating the high school GPA.
Arranging for Student Participation
Interested high school administrators and staff are encouraged to coordinate with the CDEP coordinator at the public higher education institution of interest (PDF Map) to arrange for a "contract course," a college course taught by college faculty on a high school campus, or for student enrollment in courses offered on the college campus or online.
Arrangements must be made prior to the start of a new term, and interested parties are encouraged to start the process as early as possible. High schools interested in arranging for a contract course should contact the institution of higher education several months prior to the start of the course and should be aware that not all institutions offer contract courses.