Student FAQs

Dual credit is a program that gives eligible high school students the opportunity to take college level course(s) that double as a high school class. You will be receiving credit for the course on both the college and the high school transcripts. Dual credit classes are a great way to acclimate to college course expectations, start on your degree, and save money on tuition and fees before you graduate.

Dual Credit classes are available to students who:

• Are in grades 9-12.
• Attend a partnering public, private, or charter school OR are home schooled and able to provide a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
• Have college ready test scores (TSI, SAT/ACT, STARR, PSAT).
• Contact your school counselor or ACC’s College and High School Relations Office to find out if your school offers Dual Credit classes.

You need the following College Readiness test scores to take ACC courses. (These scores were established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.) 

College Readiness Exemptions
ACT: (2/15/2023 to present): Combine score of 40 on English & Reading; Math-22+ ACT: (prior to 2/15/2023) Composite 23, with English-19+ and Math- 19+
SAT: EBRW-480+ and Math-530+
STAAR: English III- 4000+
STAAR: Algebra II- 4000+

College Readiness Waivers* (while in high school only):
ACT/ASPIRE: English-435+ Math-431+
PLAN: Composite 23, with English-19+ and Math-19+
PSAT/NMSQT: EBRW-460+, Math-510+ (PSAT is not an approved/Acceptable TSI waiver)
STAAR: English II- 4000+
STAAR: Algebra I- 4000+ with 70+ average in high school Algebra II course

*Exemptions and Waivers established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Many of our high school partners in Central Texas offer the TSI test for their own high school students. Check with your school if they offer it. Students can also take the TSI test through Austin Community College.

Dual Credit classes are held online and in-person at area high schools and ACC campuses. Students may choose how they attend classes when applying.

ACC credits transfer to the state of Texas’s top public colleges and universities, including UT-Austin and Texas State. It’s important to verify course transferability with the four-year institution you plan to attend. Information about course transfer and equivalencies can be found here or on the website of your preferred transfer location.

Dual Credit classes are college-level courses and appropriately challenging. Dual credit classes are also more self-guided and less structured than regular high school classes. Support from ACC, including free tutoring and academic advising, is available to dual credit students to help you succeed in your course.

You can earn high school and college credit simultaneously with Dual Credit classes, saving you time and money. Check with your high school counselor to ensure the ACC classes you take will count towards your graduation requirements.

Dual Credit (DC) is a program that allows eligible high school students to take college-level courses and receive credit for them from both the college and their high school. The credit appears on both the student’s college and high school transcripts. DC students enroll in college credit courses for the entire semester and get college experience. Dual Credit’s goal is to earn college credit in core curriculum or workforce classes to transfer to a 4-year university upon high school graduation.  DC students earn college credit by completing the coursework with a C average or better

Advance Placement (AP) Courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses are taken at the student’s high school and require that students take and pass an exam in order to earn college credit for the course. 

Early College High School’s (ECHS) is a program that allows high school students to earn college credits while still in high school.  ECHS programs typically begin in 9th or 10th grade.  Students can earn up to two years of college credit (60 hours), tuition-free, and may also graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree or at least 60 credit hours toward a bachelor’s degree.  Students must maintain a C average or better to receive college credit.

Yes, ACC is proud to be Central Texas’s top educator and trainer for diverse, growing careers and through our Career Academies programs, high school students can get started with specialized courses at waived or heavily discounted tuition. Depending on your goals, you can even graduate fully prepared to enter the workforce with career certificates and training produced in partnership with Austin’s leaders in Construction, Manufacturing, Health Sciences, IT and more.

Dual credit courses give students the opportunity to earn credit while participating in and completing an actual college class. This experience will assist in understanding the expectations of college work, developing time management skills, and learning in a supportive, fun college environment.

Dual credit classes are a significant investment of time and effort during and after school hours. While preparing for your future is important, make sure that you do not spread yourself too thin, and talk to your high school counselor about creating a healthy schedule.

Yes, but homeschool students are required to submit an additional document: an MOU which is required for all new homeschool students participating in ACC classes. Contact your Enrollment & Partnerships Liaison for processing homeschool student information. Important:  Your liaison will be assigned by the closest high school that you would attend if you were going to a public school in Central Texas.

While Dual credit courses will affect both your college and high school transcripts, dual credit courses do not require you to have perfect grades to pass and get credit. You will receive a letter grade from the college at the end of each semester that applies to both transcripts.

Dual credit classes are used as both college and high school credits, and will be reflected on your high school transcript. Dual credit classes are weighted on a 5.0 GPA scale, rather than a 4.0 scale, so an A or grade of 100% will be a 5.0 on your transcript.

Contact your Enrollment & Partnerships Liaison for more information on what classes are offered at your high school, as well as online and on campus options.

No, students interested in taking an advanced math course such as MATH 2412 (Pre-Calculus) must take the math advanced placement test to qualify. Contact your Enrollment & Partnership Liaison after you take the test to determine eligibility in your requested advanced ACC math course.

Yes. Students may register only for Dual Credit and ACC courses approved by their high school counselor and ACC coordinator.

HSO stands for High School Orientation. When you see an HSO hold for ACC students’ accounts, it means the students haven’t completed the orientation. The orientation is required for all new students entering into the High School Programs and is step #3 of the Application Steps and Checklist, click here for the orientation. Upon successful completion, the hold will automatically be removed 24 hours later. Here is the application steps and checklist also known as HS Programs Enrollment Guidebook (PDF).

Go to the ACC Schedule to see the full list of course offerings including locations and times available. You can also see the online classes available for the semester.

Go to the Blackboard Support site for specific information on logging in, access and troubleshooting issues.