Be COLLEGE PREPARED

NORTHEASTERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE can help you prepare for college by being in college. Every semester, high school students like you are taking courses at one of our campuses in Pageland, Cheraw, Bennettsville and Dillon or, AT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL, to earn credit toward high school and college graduation. Not only are those students making progress toward an educational goal (graduation), but they are also gaining experience that is preparing them for life as a college student.

For information about clusters of study at NETC as it relates to your Individual Graduation Plan (IGP), click on Personal Pathways to Success.

Here's what your peers are saying about taking college courses at NETC while still in high school:

Be college prepared like these students. Read on to find out how you can prepare for college while you are still in high school through our Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment and Technical Advanced Placement (TAP) Programs.*

Important Notice
Students and parents should be aware of the effects of college course grades and credit hours on rank, scholarships and other financial aid. If you plan to transfer your NETC college credit hours, always check with the college you plan on attending to receive written confirmation that Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment classes will transfer into you intended program.

*These programs can also prepare you to pursue one of NETC's twenty degree programs, thirty career-oriented certifications and diplomas, or Bridge Programs between NETC and the University of South Carolina, Francis Marion University, Coker College and Lander University.

DUAL CREDIT

You can take college courses at NETC and earn both college and high school credit through our Dual Credit Program.

Where do I take classes?
Most courses are offered on our campuses as traditional or distance learning classes. Some courses are offered on-site at partner high schools or online.

Who can participate?
Students who:

• are at least sixteen and are juniors or seniors,
• are in good standing and doing well in high school classes,
• have permission of their high school principal,
• have almost finished the high school curriculum and passed the exit exam,
• are ready for college-level work and have extra time in their schedules.

Who decides if I get Dual Credit?
Only your high school administration decides whether to award high school units for college courses. Some school districts have an approved course list. Ask your counselor or check our website to see if there is one posted for your district.

What courses are offered?
Your counselor will help you schedule classes that best fit your needs. NETC regularly offers Dual Credit classes from the Statewide Transfer Agreement list that will transfer to any public four-year college in South Carolina. These include classes such as: English Composition I & II, General Psychology, Intro to Sociology, Western Civilization, Analytical Geometry & Calculus I & II, and Biological Science I & II. NETC also offers career classes that transfer to other SC Technical Colleges.

When can I take classes?
Most students take these classes first block and in the afternoons during early dismissal, but you may take them any period that fits your schedule.

How do Dual Credit classes show up on my high school transcript?
You earn a letter grade in the college course. NETC reports that to the high school at the end of the course. Your letter grade is converted by the high school to a numerical grade (based on a uniform scale) and is recorded on your transcript at AP weight.

How much do they cost?
The NETC Application fee is waived for high school students. Tuition and fees are the same as those charged for other NETC classes. A class Lab Fee is charged for courses that require a lab component. The website lists current tuition and fees.

How do I pay for them?
If you take six credit hours a semester you may qualify for Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA). Check our website for current information because the amounts vary. Students (or parents) are responsible for cost of tuition, fees, and books unless the district or school have an agreement with NETC.

What are these classes like?
These classes are college courses...they are rigorous, and require your best. You'll learn a lot, experience college, and may even get ahead in the "admissions" game because you'll learn how to succeed in college, while you're still in high school!

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DUAL ENROLLMENT

Other NETC courses may be taken for Dual Enrollment with the permission of your high school principal. Dual Enrollment courses are college classes taken for college credit but not for high school credit. You are simply enrolled as a high school and college student (dual enrollment) and take classes during the regular school day, after school or during the Summer Term. Taking college classes as a Dual Enrollment student means you're working ahead so you may be able to take a lighter load during your first year at college. It also means you'll be more likely to enter college more confident and more COLLEGE PREPARED.

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TECHNICAL ADVANCED PLACEMENT

Northeastern Technical College and the high schools in Chesterfield, Marlboro, and Dillon counties are working to facilitate the transition of students to college level programs of study. Articulation agreements between the college and high schools are ways to help in the transition. These agreements are referred to as Technical Advanced Placement (TAP) and allow students advanced standing in specified college programs.

Technical Advanced Placement is for high school student who have completed Career and Technology Education courses with a minimum grade of 85. When enrolled in a program of study at NETC, students are eligible to exempt the articulated course if the course is required for their program. The exempted course may serve as a skill requirement or as an elective in the program. For example, completers of Health Science Technology programs can receive 3 credit hours towards Nursing Preparation and Allied Healthcare certificates or Administrative Office Technology degree and Medical Office Assistant Certificate.

The TAP program provides several benefits for students:

• Saving money on tuition, fees and books
• Accelerated progress
• Reduced duplication of instruction

The procedure to receive TAP credit at NETC is simple.

• Complete the required Career and Technology course competencies and maintain a minimum grade of 85
• Pass proficiency exam where required
• Have your high school instructor complete recommendation form and give to counselor
• Complete NETC application process
• Complete registration
• Apply and enroll at NETC within 18 months of high school graduation in an approved program and request TAP Credit

Remember, if you are taking a Career and Technology program at the high school and have plans to attend NETC let your instructor know so they can complete the Teacher Recommendation Form and inform you of any additional requirements.

For more information about TAP courses at your high school click on the county web page listed below:

• Technical Advanced Placement (TAP) Handbook
• TAP Course List - Chesterfield County School District
• TAP Course List - Dillon County School District
• TAP Course List - Marlboro County School District

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ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES (AP)

High school courses that offer college-level academic work to prepare students for the rigors of college. This program is operated by the College Board, a national organization that develops course curriculum, provides teacher training and administers a national standardized exam for each AP course. Students enrolled in these courses must take an AP exam. Successful scores on the AP exam may qualify students for college credit for advanced standing at U.S. colleges and universities. For more information about AP courses, visit www.apcentral.collegeboard.com or talk with your high school counselor.

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INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)

A rigorous pre-university program of study offered by select high schools designed to prepare highly motivated high school juniors and seniors with a well-rounded college preparatory education. This comprehensive two-year curriculum allows students to graduate with an internationally recognized credential. Students who earn the IB diploma may be awarded advanced standing at many colleges and universities throughout the world. For more information about the IB program, visit www.ibo.org/diploma.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Additional resources to learn more about Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment or Technical Advanced Placement (TAP) Programs at Northeastern Technical College are provided below.

Consult with your Guidance Counselor or Career Specialist.
For more information about TAP, ask your Career and Technology Education teacher.

Visit the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website.
www.che.sc.gov/New_Web/Students&Parents.htm

Visit the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website for A Transfer Guide for General Education Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Coursework Taken in High School Applicable to Public Colleges and Universities in South Carolina.
www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/TRANSFER/DualEnroll.pdf

Visit The Statewide Agreement on Transfer and Articulation.
www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/TRANSFER/transferable_courses.pdf
A listing of 86 courses approved for transfer from all two-year public to four-year public institutions.

Visit the "Admissions" or "Prospective Students" section of your intended college's website.
Contact information for each institution is available at
www.che.sc.gov/InfoCntr/Coll_Univ.htm
Students who have already been accepted at an institution or know which institution they wish to attend should consult that institution's general education advisor or appropriate departmental advisor before enrolling in Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit courses.

What can you do to get ready?
Here's a list of things you can do to be COLLEGE PREPARED. To understand how Northeastern Technical College can help, read on about Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment and Technical Advanced Placement opportunities. (For a print friendly version, click here.)

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