Earning College Credit in High School

A homeschooled high school student has quite the advantage when it comes to earning college credit during the high school years. Homeschooled students have the ability to tailor make their education to align with future goals. For many homeschooling high school is intimidating enough without adding in the pressure of college. Don’t click away so soon, stick around and see just how easy earning college credit can be for your student. Related post: Summer Is For Logging High School Credit Hours

CLEP Exams

CLEP exams are one option for your student to earn college credit. The CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. These exams test college level knowledge of a subject. There are 33 exams available in five subject areas. Most the of exams are for classes a student would encounter in his first two years of college, including psychology, world civilizations, Spanish, and chemistry among others. At the time of this writing, the exams are $80 and if a student does not pass he will have the ability to take the exam again. There is no risk to grades or GPA if a student fails the exam. CLEP study guides are available online for purchase from sources such as Amazon, and free from Free CLEP Prep. The purpose of the study guide is to help the student study what may appear on the test as it is not a textbook itself. The CLEP study guide is to be used to study 4-6 weeks before the exam. You can check the CLEP website for local exam centers.

Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment is when your high schooler earns high school credit and college credit for the same course simultaneously. To achieve this, you have two options. 1) You can enroll your child in college classes through a local campus, usually a junior or community college. 2) You can also enroll your teen in an online college. Earning credits this way will, also, create a college transcript. This means the grade earned will not only apply to a high school GPA, but your teen’s college GPA. When you are creating your teen’s high school transcript you simply notate the college course so it also applies for high school credit. Just make sure the credits earned through the college are transferrable. Earning college credit during the high school years is a great option for college bound students and could save the student time and money. Discuss the options with your teen and see which one or a combination would be a good fit.

Credit Planner Printable

Planning for the high school and college journey can be tricky. There are transcripts to keep and credits to track. Through dual credit options in and get ready for a whole new level of organization. Use this handy high school/college credit planner printable to keep track of both potential dual credit classes and the number of credits earned. It's a FREE download!