Communicating Dual Enrollment Programs in the Principal Newsletter

Dual enrollment programs offer high school students the chance to earn college credit before graduation, often at little or no cost to the family. But participation rates in most schools reflect a familiar pattern: students whose families already understand the college system take advantage, while students whose families are less familiar with how dual enrollment works miss the opportunity entirely.

The principal newsletter is one of the most direct tools for changing that pattern.

Explaining dual enrollment in plain language

Many families have a vague understanding that dual enrollment involves taking college classes in high school, but they do not know the specifics that matter for their decision-making. A clear newsletter explanation covers:

• Which college the school partners with and how those credits are counted after graduation
• Whether classes meet at the high school or require students to travel to the college campus
• Who pays for the credits and whether there are any costs the family is responsible for
• How dual enrollment credits appear on the high school transcript and the college transcript
• Whether dual enrollment grades affect the student's high school GPA

Eligibility and the enrollment timeline

Eligibility requirements vary significantly by state and institution. Some dual enrollment programs require a minimum GPA, a counselor recommendation, or a placement test. Others are open to any student who elects to participate.

Publish the eligibility criteria clearly in the newsletter, including the minimum GPA if applicable, and note explicitly that the school counselor can help students who want to work toward eligibility if they are not yet there. The enrollment timeline, including when applications open and when registration closes, should appear in the newsletter at least twice.

Making the academic case for dual enrollment

Families who are on the fence about whether dual enrollment is right for their student benefit from understanding the academic value. Students who complete dual enrollment coursework successfully arrive at college with credits that reduce their time to degree and their total tuition cost. For students heading to in-state public universities, one or two dual enrollment courses can save thousands of dollars.

A newsletter that makes the financial and academic case concretely, with specific numbers, is more persuasive than one that describes the program in general terms.

Supporting students who are on the edge of eligibility

One of the most valuable things a principal newsletter can do is tell families explicitly that the school has support pathways for students who want to be dual enrollment eligible but are not yet there. A student with a 2.9 GPA who wants to hit the 3.0 threshold by junior year needs to know that goal is achievable with a specific plan.

A brief mention that counselors can help students build an eligibility plan makes the program accessible to students who might otherwise assume it is not for them.