Dual Enrollment

Take select Frederick Community College (FCC) courses at your Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) high school or at the Career and Technology Center (CTC). Earn your high school diploma and college credits from FCC simultaneously.

High school students in this program take FCC courses at their high school during the regular school day. These are college level, credit-bearing courses taught by FCPS teachers who are credentialed to teach college-level courses.

Available courses vary by school; talk to your counselor to see what is offered at your FCPS high school.

Qualifications: Currently enrolled FCPS high school students who are college and career ready and have an unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.0 may consider dual enrollment. Assessment scores (SAT, ACT, Accuplacer, MCAP, and more), FCPS final course grades, and/or unweighted GPA may determine college and career readiness. See Qualifications and Requirements tab below.

Cost: High School Based students receive free tuition at FCC for all courses. There are no fees or textbooks costs for High School Based courses.

Course Offerings: High School Based courses vary from school to school depending on the school size, staffing, and student interest. Talk to your counselor to see what is available at your FCPS high school.

Instructors: High School Based courses are taught by FCPS teachers from your high school. These teachers are hired by FCC to teach college courses and are held to the same hiring and credentialing standards as adjunct professors.

Transcripts: Grades earned in Dual Enrollment courses (including High School Based, Open Campus, and Early College) count as weighted grades in your high school GPA, but only for courses for which you elect to receive dual credit. 

High school students in this program take college courses online or on the FCC campus during the day or evening. These are college level, credit-bearing courses. 

Cost:

• For school year 2025-2026, tuition for FCPS Open Campus students is covered for up to two FCC courses per year for juniors and up to four courses per year for seniors.
• Income-eligible FCPS students may qualify for additional DE courses as approved by FCPS.
• FCPS students participating in Open Campus may obtain required textbooks and materials at the FCC bookstore at no cost. 

• Frederick County home school and private school students participating in Open Campus receive a 25% discount on tuition. Discount does not cover fees, textbooks and materials.

• All students must pay full tuition prices during the summer semester.

Transportation: Students are responsible for providing their own transportation for Open Campus courses.

Under age 16: Students under age 16 may be eligible for dual enrollment. Visit our students under 16 page for more details. 

Earn your high school diploma and an industry certification or credential simultaneously. 

The goal of Career Pathways students is to earn an industry certification or credential either before or shortly after high school graduation.  Courses are either held at their high school, on the FCC campus, ora the FCC Monroe Center.

Available career programs vary by school; course locations vary by chosen pathway. 

Enrollment:

1. Speak with your high school counselor about your plans to take a Continuing Education or Workforce Development (CEWD) course or program.
2. Browse course offerings on the CEWD registration site and confirm the need for placement testing by contacting the Dual Enrollment office at [email protected].
3. For credit classes, register through your MyFCC student portal. For non-credit classes, see your counselor and complete the CEWD registration form.
4. Check the box identifying yourself as a Frederick County high school student.
5. Students in career pathways may obtain required textbooks and materials at the FCC bookstore. Students wishing to retain or write in their books and materials may purchase required materials for their own use. 
   

Cost: Tuition and fees are free for all FCPS students during the Fall and Spring semesters. Seniors must pay full tuition prices during the summer semester. FCPS students participating in Career Pathways may obtain required textbooks and materials at the FCC bookstore at no cost to the student. 

Available Career Pathways programs:

Some high schools may offer classes that fulfill one or more requirements for FCC short-term training programs. Ask your counselor.

Career Pathways programs may include:

• CNA/GNA Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Technician
• Sterile Processing
• Electrical Certificate or Letter of Recognition
• HVAC Certificate or Letter of Recognition
• Welding Certificate or Letter of Recognition
• Veterinary Assistant
• Hospitality, Culinary & Tourism Institute courses
• Rehabilitation Aide
• Medical Billing & Coding
• IT User Support or Net +
• Certified Logistics Technician
• Manufacturing Technology          
• Automotive Technology
• Culinary Skills

CTE Completer Partnership:

Any FCPS student may enroll in any approved Career Pathways program at FCC as a Dual Enrollment student.

Students from high schools without the pathway partnerships may not be eligible to earn high school credit for Career Pathways programs. Please contact your school counselor for more information about high school credits. Current high schools that offer a CTE completer partnership: Frederick High School.

Monroe Center: The Monroe Center is an FCC facility that houses offices, classrooms, and labs for Construction and Building Trades, Healthcare and Wellness, and the Hospitality, Culinary & Tourism Institute, including a commercial kitchen and demonstration restaurant. It is located at 200 Monroe Avenue in Frederick, MD. 

Graduate with a high school diploma and an FCC associate degree simultaneously. 

FCPS high school students in the Early College program at FCC have the opportunity to earn an associate degree while completing high school by attending FCC full-time during their junior and senior years. Similar to traditional full-time undergraduate students, Early College students follow the FCC academic calendar and have the option to take day, evening, online, and weekend courses. Schedules are developed with the Early College Coordinator. 

Cost: Tuition, books, and fees will continue to be provided at no cost for students who have already enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year. However, the Early College program will have limited seats available and some limits on how much of the program is covered by FCPS for future cohorts. Criteria for admission will be considered.  Students who choose to take summer classes must pay full tuition prices and cover the cost of their books and materials.

Benefits of Early College:

• Structured guidance to complete an associate degree with a cohort of students
• Savings on time and money while completing postsecondary education goals
• Rigorous coursework in a college campus setting for the last two years of high school
• An associate degree from FCC and a high school diploma from FCPS in just four years
• Flexibility to major in most programs offered by FCC

Application Process:

Early College applications are due by March 15th for current FCPS sophomores.

Transportation: Transportation is not provided. Students and families should consider how they will provide consistent transportation for Early College.

If transportation is a significant barrier for participation in Early College, applicants should contact the FCC Dual Enrollment office for assistance.

Note: The FCC main campus is on the city bus route and located near the FCPS Career and Technology Center (CTC).

High School Requirements: Early College students will complete their remaining high school credits through FCC courses that are eligible for dual credit. The Early College coordinator and FCPS coordinator for Dual Enrollment ensure that all Early College students are on track to graduate high school on time while in the program. All FCC courses taken for dual credit count as weighted grades on the FCPS transcript.

Life as an Early College Student:

The day of an Early College student will be very similar to the day of a traditional full-time undergraduate student.

Early College students follow the FCC academic calendar and most classes occur between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with evening, online, and weekend courses available. Some programs may require coursework during the summer term or January session, at clinical or internship sites, or at the Monroe Center. Early College student schedules will be developed with the student by the Early College Coordinator.

Early College students will spend approximately 15 hours in class over the course of a week and should expect to spend approximately 30 additional hours completing out-of-class work per week. Student schedules may have open blocks of time during the day to complete this work.

All students will have access to FCC facilities including the Learning Commons, STEM Learning Center, and Cougar Grille before and after classes.

Extracurricular Activities:

Students are dually enrolled at both their home FCPS high school and at FCC. As such, students can access clubs and extracurricular programs at either institution (with the exception of FCC athletic teams).

However, individual college schedules may not accommodate FCPS extracurricular events as readily as the home high school would. Students need to consider the level of involvement with any extracurricular program and their ability to balance activities with Early College academic demands.

Academic Expectations:

Prior to the start of the program, Early College students will participate in a mandatory transition course (one college credit) during the summer at FCC.

Early College students are responsible for their own attendance and there is no required check-in on campus; however, college faculty will share attendance requirements for individual courses.

Students will need to access FCC course websites and will benefit from having a computer and internet access at home. Students without access to a computer or internet at home may utilize FCC open computer labs or the Learning Commons during regular operating hours.

Students in Early College will be held to the same conduct standards as FCC students and FCPS students. Students in violation of these standards may be subject to discipline at either or both institutions.

Early College academic progress standards are designed to protect students from delayed high school graduation.

Students who do not demonstrate appropriate academic progress will be dismissed from Early College and will return to their home high school. These students will continue to be eligible to take Open Campus and High School Based Dual Enrollment courses and may apply to become traditional FCC students following high school graduation. Students may also elect to withdraw from the program, in consultation with the Early College coordinator.