Earn College Credit In High School

In dual credit courses at Bethany Lutheran College students learn from professors who are experts in their fields and who believe that the Bible is the true word of God. Bethany professors teach their subjects from Christ-centered perspectives.

There are many practical reasons to take college courses while in high school. Dual credit courses at BLC are a great way to:

• explore college programs
• save money on college tuition
• enrich your future college experience by freeing up credits so you can comfortably participate in athletics, spend a semester studying in another country, or work an internship
• prove your ability to succeed in a college course

As a new student you need to complete the electronic online application, print and complete the Online Learner Contract, and have a copy of your high school transcripts sent to Bethany Lutheran College by mail or e-mail from your high school guidance office.

Once you have been accepted, you will receive course registration instructions in an e-mail from Bethany. You can choose your courses online after registration opens using the “Student” tab in MyBLC.

Returning students need to complete a new Online Learner Contract including signatures from a parent and high school counselor.

Once the Online Learner Contract has been sent by mail or e-mail, and after registration opens, you can choose your courses online using the “Student” tab in MyBLC.

After you register for an online course, a bill will be mailed to the address entered on your Bethany application. Dual credit students must pay for their online courses before the first day of class (or the payment date noted on the bill). Failure to pay by the deadline will result in a dropped registration.

No, these courses will follow the academic calendar of Bethany Lutheran College.

No. Dual credit courses are college courses, so they are deeper and faster-paced compared to high school courses. Students in dual credit courses are expected to read college textbooks, write complete and thoughtful paragraphs and essays, collaborate with other college students, take rigorous quizzes and exams, and work independently to complete work by due dates.

Bethany Lutheran College awards credit for courses completed with a grade of C or above. However, not all courses will apply for all types of degrees. For example, credits earned in the Audio/Video Production course will not be applicable toward a degree in nursing. Director of Admissions Nick Cook and Estelle Vlieger can help you identify which courses are appropriate for specific degree programs.

Bethany Lutheran College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, therefore many colleges will accept credits from BLC dual credit courses. However, other colleges may have their own policies regarding the minimum grade necessary to earn credit for a dual credit course, they may only accept certain courses, or they may not accept any college credits earned in high school. You must check with an admissions counselor from the college you plan to attend to be sure that credits earned in Bethany dual credit courses will transfer.

Different high schools and colleges handle dual credit grades in different ways. Some high schools only accept certain courses for high school credit, and may apply special weighting to dual credit course grades. Check with your high school guidance counselor to see which courses you are able to take and how they will impact your GPA.

If you attend Bethany Lutheran College the grades you earn in your dual credit courses will apply to your college GPA. If you plan to attend a different college, you must check with an advisor at that college about whether grades from dual credit courses will count toward your college GPA.

When students who are U.S. citizens take a dual credit course, a form 1098-T is automatically generated so the tuition can be claimed as their families complete their taxes. This tax form must be sent to the student and cannot be sent to a high school. Consequently, if you are a U.S. citizen your family must pay for the online course, not your high school. If your high school usually pays tuition for online courses, check to see whether you can be reimbursed.

If you are an international student who is not a resident of the U.S., because you will not receive any U.S. tax forms your high school is allowed to pay for your tuition.

Yes. Dual credit courses should be taken by responsible students who are ready for the high expectations of college courses. If you do not exert the effort required to succeed in an online course and you earn a low grade, that low grade will be a part of your permanent college transcript that colleges will see when evaluating your application for admission. If you withdraw from a dual credit course before you receive a grade, a “W” will be recorded on your BLC transcript.

It might. If you take several dual credit courses and then withdraw from the courses, or if you earn grades too low to earn college credit, the credits for those courses still count as credits attempted but not completed. At Bethany, students must successfully complete at least 67% of the credits they attempt to be eligible for financial aid.

It can happen, but only if you take the wrong kinds of dual credit courses in high school. This is particularly problematic if you decide to change your major during college. A typical Bethany degree requires around 128 credits of coursework, but students may take some extra courses of interest that do not apply to their majors and still receive financial aid for those courses. At Bethany, if students take over 192 credits of coursework, they can lose financial aid eligibility. Most students will not approach this maximum, but students who change majors usually need to take more credits of coursework to complete the new requirements. If you already took several high school dual credit courses that do not apply to your major, you may exceed the financial aid maximum.

Most of the dual credit online courses offered by Bethany Lutheran College are general education courses – courses that are required for all majors. Even if you change your major in college, general education courses transfer to the new program because they still apply. While it is beneficial to explore areas that interest you by taking courses in specific programs (i.e. Audio/Video Production or Criminal Deviance and Justice), it is safest to earn general education credits that apply to any program (i.e. Intro to Theatre, College Writing, or College Algebra). Please contact Director of Admissions Nick Cook and Estelle Vlieger for help identifying which courses are most appropriate for you.