Strategic Initiatives
The Massachusetts Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) provides opportunities for Massachusetts high school students to take college-level courses for free or at a discounted price and earn credit toward high school completion and their future college degrees.
Keith Connors
Director of Academic Affairs and Student Success
(617) 994-6911
kconnors@dhe.mass.edu
1993 – 2002
2008 – Present
Public Higher Ed System
MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education
State-funded dual enrollment was first established in Massachusetts in 1993 and supported 12,000 participating students between 1994 and 2001. After a hiatus due to a shortage of state funding, the program was restored in 2008 and, as of July 2009, became known as the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Program and in June 2014, it was renamed the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership. In FY15 the program had 1,638 enrollments and by FY18, enrollments increased to 2,310.
CDEP eases the transition from high school to college, allowing students the opportunity to enter college already having earned course credit. Participating students gain an early college experience with meaningful and challenging academic courses that they might otherwise not have had available to them. And for low-income, underrepresented or first-to-college students, involvement with CDEP might be their first exposure to college or the first time they considered college as a possibility. The ultimate goal of CDEP is to increase the population of high school graduates who are college ready.
CDEP funded students take their first course free of charge or for a nominal fee. Subsequent course fees are set by the institution. Student participation in CDEP is at the discretion of the participating institution of public higher education, subject to capacity constraints and state appropriation. Not all of Massachusetts’ public higher education institutions participate in the CDEP program. Please contact your local public campus to find out what dual enrollment opportunities and funding is available.
If you apply for admission at one of the state’s public colleges or universities, grades received in courses as part of CDEP receive additional weight in your high school GPA. 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 Reference Guide for more information on calculating the high school GPA.
Students who participate in CDEP are required to receive high school and college credit for the courses they successfully complete.
Students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Students who meet eligibility guidelines are not guaranteed participation. Participation is at the discretion of the participating institution of higher education, subject to capacity constraints and state appropriation.
CDEP courses are limited to those that would qualify under the MassTransfer Block . These are generally first- and second-year college courses that institutions regard as highly transferable. These courses are not guaranteed to transfer, however. Students should contact the college or university in which they plan to enroll after high school to inquire about their transfer policy.
Eligible Courses: An eligible course must be a credit-bearing college-level course that meets the following criteria:
*Note: three credit courses that include tutorials and co-requisite support are eligible for CDEP.
The disciplines represented in the MassTransfer block are behavioral and social sciences, humanities and fine arts, natural or physical science, English composition/writing, and mathematic/quantitative reasoning.
More information about MassTransfer can be found here.
Ineligible Courses: The following courses are ineligible:
The Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) is offered within the public higher education system in Massachusetts. To be eligible for CDEP funding, a community college, state university, or University of Massachusetts campus must plan and develop dual enrollment opportunities with the following guidelines:
Please note that students who are not first-generation college students, low-income students, or interested in STEM fields are also eligible to participate.
Course are offered by the majority of Massachusetts community colleges, state universities and undergraduate University of Massachusetts campuses. Courses may be taught on the campuses of those institutions, on a high school campus, or online. Courses that are offered at the high school are called "contract courses" and are arranged through an agreement between the high school and the institution of higher education.
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, you may be limited to the number of courses you may take.
Students must receive college and high school credit, documented on their college and high school transcripts, for the courses that they successfully complete. Students may be asked to collect signatures of college and high school administrators for this purpose.
The high school may count the CDEP course either as an elective or a required course. Participating higher education institutions and high schools are responsible for establishing written agreements that ensure that high school students receive credit from both the college and high school for courses completed as part of CDEP. Although not a requirement, the Department of Higher Education suggests grades earned from CDEP courses are configured into the high school GPA and weighted the same as Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
Students do not pay tuition or fees for courses taken through CDEP. However, some institutions may charge a nominal admission fee (for example, $25), which may be waived. Student 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.
Check with your high school guidance counselor to find out if a contract course is offered at your high school and/or how you can enroll in a course offered on a higher education campus or online.
Interested students and families are also encouraged to coordinate with the CDEP coordinator at their public higher education institution of interest (PDF map) to arrange 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.
CDEP is just one of many different dual enrollment and early college programs and initiatives offered at Massachusetts' public colleges and universities. To avoid confusion when contacting a higher education institution about it, please refer to the program by its specific name: "Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership" or "CDEP."
High schools must establish agreements with the participating public institution of higher education to ensure that participating students receive credit from both the college and the high school, documented on both transcripts, for the courses taken through CDEP. Students may be asked to collect signatures of high school and college administrators for this purpose.
As an additional incentive to students to take more challenging coursework, 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 Reference Guide for more information on calculating the high school GPA.
Interested high school administrators and staff are encouraged to coordinate with the CDEP coordinator at their local public higher education institution to arrange for a "contract course" to be offered 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.
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.
The high school may count the CDEP course either as an elective or a required course. Participating IHEs and high schools are responsible for establishing written agreements that ensure that high school students receive credit from both the college and high school for courses completed as part of CDEP. Although not a requirement, the Department of Higher Education and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education suggest grades earned from CDEP courses are configured into the high school GPA and weighted the same as Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
Berkshire Community College | Megan Lussier Director of Admissions and Recruitment |
(413) 236-2131 mlussier@berkshirecc.edu |
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Bristol Community College | Andrew Fischer Vice President, Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer |
(774) 357-2185 andrew.fisher@bristolcc.edu |
Bunker Hill Community College | Steve W. Prudent Director, High School Partnerships & Pathways |
(781) 499-2105 swpruden@bhcc.edu |
Cape Cod Community College | Christie O'Campbell Dual Enrollment Program Coordinator |
(774) 330-4992 cocampbell@capecod.edu |
Christine McCarey Dean, Enrollment Management & Student Development |
(774) 330-4315 cmccarey@capecod.edu |
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Sheila Vaughn Director of Admissions |
(774) 330-4466 svaughn@capecod.edu |
|
Greenfield Community College | Shanni Arsenault VP Enrollment Management & Student Success |
(413) 775-1870 arsenaults@gcc.mass.edu |
Holyoke Community College | Jenilee Cochran Dual Enrollment Coordinator |
(413) 552-2241 jcochran@hcc.edu |
Theresa Eccles Dual Enrollment Advisor |
(413) 552-2752 teccles@hcc.edu |
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MassBay Community College | Lisa Slavin Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management |
(781) 239-2501 lslavin@massbay.edu |
Massasoit Community College | Kristine Fortini Bohmer Academic Coordinator, Individual Dual Enrollment Access |
(508) 588-9100 x1409 kfortinib@massasoit.mass.edu |
Middlesex Community College | Melissa Chandonnet Director of Concurrent and Dual Enrollment |
CHANDONNETM@middlesex.mass.edu |
Mount Wachusett Community College | Sara Vettese Director of Early College & Dual Enrollment |
(978) 630-9356 svettese1@mwcc.mass.edu |
North Shore Community College | Cheryl Ryan Assistant Director, Early College Partnerships |
(978) 762-4000 x5521 cryan@northshore.edu |
Northern Essex Community College | Aaron Altman Associate Dean of PK-12 Programs |
aaltman@necc.mass.edu |
Quinsigamond Community College | Veronica Guay Executive Director, High School Dual Enrollment Programs and Partnerships |
(508) 854-2831 vguay@qcc.mass.edu |
Roxbury Community College | Loretta Minor Associate Dean of Admissions |
(857) 701-1207 ldaway@rcc.mass.edu |
Springfield Technical Community College | Melanie Laurin Director of Early College Initiatives |
(413) 755-4443 earlycollege@stcc.edu |
Bridgewater State University | ||
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Rob Geddes Coordinator of Dual Enrollment and Early College |
(508) 531-2266 earlycollege@bridgew.edu |
|
Fitchburg State University | Andrew Goodwin Coordinator of Early College and Dual Enrollment |
(978) 665-3847 agoodwi7@fitchburgstate.edu |
Framingham State University | Roxana Marrero Senior Director Early College Community Growth |
(508) 215-5600 rmarrero@framingham.edu |
Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Danielle Van den Berge Pathways Assistant Director/Program Manager |
(617) 879-7211 vdberge@massart.edu |
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | Josh Mendel Associate Director of Admissions |
(413) 662-5409 j.mendel@mcla.edu |
Paul A. Petritis, M. Ed. Associate Dean, Graduate & Continuing Education |
(413) 662-5543 paul.petritis@mcla.edu |
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Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Michael Ortiz Dean of Enrollment Management, Equity, and Inclusion |
(508) 830-5133 mortiz@maritime.edu |
Salem State University | Elaine Concepcion Undergraduate Admissions Counselor |
(978) 542-4673 econcepcion@salemstate.edu |
Westfield State University | Julie Hill-Spivey Assistant Director Westfield Promise/MA Early College Program |
(413) 572-8316 jhillspivey@westfield.ma.edu |
Worcester State University | Sara Grady Associate Dean, Graduate Studies & Professional Development |
(508) 929-8130 sgrady3@worcester.edu |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst is not participating in the CDEP program. | |
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University of Massachusetts Boston | Kerry Boyd Executive Director, Strategic Enrollment Initiatives |
(617) 287-6075 kerry.boyd@umb.edu |
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Tracy L. Wallace Director of Undergraduate Transfer Affairs |
(508) 999-8754 twallace1@umassd.edu |
University of Massachusetts Lowell | Francine Coston Associate Director, Early College Initiatives |
(978) 934-5532 Francine_Coston@uml.edu |