Dual Credit
Dual Credit
High School Students Earn Free College Credit with Dual Credit!
Every year, high school students in central Wisconsin earn college credits before they even graduate. Dual Credit and other opportunities for high school students give you a head start on college and a chance to explore careers before you commit. The credits you earn are entirely free of charge and—in some cases—may even transfer to other Wisconsin technical colleges or four-year colleges.
Dual Credit...and More
Dual Credit and Start College Now are both forms of Dual Credit at Mid-State that allow you to:
- Challenge yourself academically
- Earn college credits toward a program of study
- Accelerate your post-secondary degree completion
- Save money on tuition and books
Youth Apprenticeship (YA) is another option that allows you to gain valuable on-the-job training as part of your Mid-State education.
Which programs are right for you? Explore the options below, and follow next steps to getting started. Adult students looking for information about Mid-State college credit for previous education, work, life, and military experiences should visit our Credit for Prior Learning page.
Some courses taught at your high school may be taught by a high school instructor specially certified by Mid-State to teach the course. Because these are Mid-State courses, you can earn college credit.
- Credits are transferable to other colleges.
Dual Credit isn’t just for high school juniors and seniors anymore—sophomores can take Dual Credit courses too!
How Do I Get Dual Credit?
During the first week of class, your Dual Credit high school teacher will assist all students who want to receive free college credits with Mid-State. You'll get help to apply and complete a registration form for the Dual Credit option. Only students who submit this registration form will earn the dual credit. After the class, your instructor will enter your grade with Mid-State, and it will appear on your college transcript.
A Closer Look
- See Dual Credit Agreements below for Mid-State Dual Credit courses available at your school.
- See the Dual Credit Guide for more information
Samantha Will, Dual Credit & Outreach Center Coordinator
Contact
Start College Now is a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) program. It allows high school juniors and seniors enrolled in a public school district who are in good academic standing to take classes at Mid-State for both high school and college credit.
- Interested students apply to their school district asking for approval to take one or more college courses each semester of their junior or senior year.
- By approving the student to take college course(s), the school district will pay for the student's tuition and fee associated with the cost of the course(s).
How Do I Get Started with Start College Now?
- Note important deadlines for submitting your Start College Now application:
- March 1 deadline for following fall semester start
- October 1 deadline for following spring semester start
- Just looking to take a course or two? Complete and submit the online Mid-State Start College Now application. (You will need to indicate your course number and term start date on the application.)
- Ready to start a Mid-State Program? Check out the Mid-State Fast-Track program, which allows eligible high school students to apply to any Mid-State certificate or degree program!
- Watch for an email confirmation from Mid-State letting you know that your application was successfully submitted. (Mid-State will also send all applications to the school district for approval.)
- Watch for an email from Mid-State informing you of your application approval status and next steps.
For detailed information and responsibilities pertaining to the Start College Now program, see the Start College Now instructions on the Wisconsin Technical College System website. Do not complete the application on this page—be sure to use Mid-State’s application linked in step 2 above.
Youth Apprenticeship (YA) gives high school juniors or seniors the opportunity to participate in a one- or two-year apprenticeship. During the apprenticeship, students continue toward high school graduation and take courses related to the profession as a way of enhancing what they're learning on the job.
Learn more about the Youth Apprenticeship program and the pathways offered.
Dual Credit Resources by High School
Your future, your choice. Explore Dual Credit options available at your high school.
Dual Credit Agreement: Learn about the Dual Credit course options available based on articulation agreements between your high school and Mid-State.
Dual Credit Pathway Guide: See what Dual Credit courses at your high school fit into specific Mid-State programs.
University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities: Interested in earning a bachelor's degree? Start taking transferrable credits in high school through Dual Credit!
- Abbotsford High School
- Adams-Friendship High School
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Adams-Friendship Dual Credit Agreement
Adams-Friendship Dual Credit Pathway Guide - Almond-Bancroft High School
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Almond-Bancroft Dual Credit Agreement
Almond-Bancroft Dual Credit Pathway Guide - Amherst High School
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Amherst Dual Credit Agreement
Amherst Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Amherst University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Assumption High School
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Assumption Dual Credit Agreement
Assumption Dual Credit Pathway Guide - Auburndale High School
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Auburndale Dual Credit Agreement
Auburndale Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Auburndale University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Columbus High School
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Columbus Dual Credit Agreement
Columbus Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Columbus University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Granton High School
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Granton Dual Credit Agreement
Granton Dual Credit Pathway Guide - John Edwards High School
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John Edwards Dual Credit Agreement
John Edwards Dual Credit Pathway Guide
John Edwards University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Lincoln High School
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Lincoln Dual Credit Agreement
Lincoln Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Lincoln University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Marshfield High School
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Marshfield Dual Credit Agreement
Marshfield Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Marshfield University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Mauston High School
- Nekoosa High School
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Nekoosa Dual Credit Agreement
Nekoosa Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Nekoosa University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Pacelli High School
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Pacelli Dual Credit Agreement
Pacelli Dual Credit Pathway Guide - Pittsville High School
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Pittsville Dual Credit Agreement
Pittsville Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Pittsville University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Stevens Point Senior High School
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Stevens Point Dual Credit Agreement
Stevens Point Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Stevens Point University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Tri-County High School
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Tri-County Dual Credit Agreement
Tri-County Dual Credit Pathway Guide
Tri-County University Transfer Dual Credit Opportunities - Verona Area High School
- Wisconsin Dells High School
If you do not see your high school listed or any current agreements for your school, contact your school counselor to ask about Dual Credit opportunities.
Ordering Course Materials
Your Dual Credit or Start College Now courses may require textbooks or other course materials. View the step-by-step guide for ordering your course materials through the online bookstore.
Dual Credit for Parents
Explore our Dual Credit FAQs to learn more about Dual Credit and how to help your child make the most of this opportunity.
- What is a Dual Credit course?
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A Mid-State Technical College course taught at the high school by a high school instructor certified by Mid-State to teach the course. Dual Credit courses are taught using Mid-State’s curriculum, learning competencies, grading policy, and textbook(s). Successful completion earns students both high school and college credit at Mid-State and likely other colleges through transfer credit.
- Are Dual Credit courses really free?
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Yes, thanks to a special partnership with local school districts! This allows Mid-State to offer high school students this opportunity to earn college credits free of tuition and book costs through the Dual Credit program.
- Why take a Dual Credit course?
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College costs add up quickly. With Dual Credit, students can get a head start on their college education by earning college credits free of tuition and fees. This not only saves money but also helps you speed up the time to degree completion once students get to college. In short, Dual Credit means your child can save money on college, get their degree faster, and start earning their starting career salary sooner!
- Is Dual Credit different from Transcripted Credit?
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No. The Transcripted Credit program has been renamed to Dual Credit.
- Who is eligible to take a Dual Credit course?
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To be eligible, a student must take a Dual Credit course at their high school during their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year. To actually receive college credit, the student must also sign up for Dual Credit at the beginning of the course.
- What Dual Credit courses are available at my child’s high school?
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See the list of courses offered at each high school in the Dual Credit Agreements section on this page.
- How does my child sign up for a Dual Credit course?
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Students who want to receive Mid-State college credits through the Dual Credit program must complete and submit a Mid-State registration form at the beginning of each Dual Credit course. Students who take a Dual Credit course but do not submit a registration form to Mid-State for that course will not earn the college credits.
- My child is not planning to attend Mid-State—does it makes sense to take a Dual Credit course with Mid-State?
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Absolutely. One of the advantages of Dual Credit is that many of the courses transfer to other colleges, particularly to other Wisconsin technical colleges. Some courses may also transfer to a four-year college. Even if the course does not satisfy a particular degree requirement at your child’s college, there’s a good chance it will count toward an elective or general education requirement.
- Will it be necessary to provide my child’s Social Security Number to register for a Dual Credit course?
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Yes. The Social Security Number is a way for us to accurately identify our students and ensure that there is no duplication of student records.
- What if my child is not satisfied with the grade they are earning in a Dual Credit course?
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Because Dual Credit grades go on your child’s permanent college transcript, it’s important to aim to do as well as possible in the course. That said, any student earning a grade of “C-” or lower can submit a request to drop the course before 80 percent of the course is completed.
- How do I know if a Dual Credit course will transfer to another college or not?
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The receiving college will determine the transferable credits and the requirements those credits fulfill. When it’s time to submit the completed Dual Credit courses for transfer credit, simply submit a request for an official college transcript from Mid-State to be sent to the college your child plans to attend. In some cases, the receiving college may also ask for a copy of the course syllabus, which can be obtained from the course instructor or from Mid-State.
- After the Dual Credit course is completed, how do we request transfer credit to a college other than Mid-State?
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Request transfer credit by submitting an official transcripts request through Mid-State’s online transcript ordering service. There is a $6 charge to send transcripts to a college/university.
- If my child will be attending Mid-State after high school, what do we need to do?
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Nothing. If students registered for Dual Credit with Mid-State at the beginning of the course and earned a passing grade, the course title and grade will be posted on their Mid-State transcript. If the Dual Credit course is required for their program of study, they will have already earned those credits and do not need to take the course!
Dual Credit for High School Teachers
Want to be a Dual Credit instructor? If you are a high school teacher with a current DPI license in the area you’d like to teach and are employed as a secondary school instructor by a K–12 school in Mid-State’s district, you may qualify. Explore this and other opportunities for high school teachers on our K–12 Partners page.
