Atlantic Cape Community College is proud to partner with local high schools to provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school. Our Early College programming provides multiple avenues, including dual credit, concurrent courses, articulated credit, and associate pathways, to earn college credits, lessen the time and cost it will take to reach academic goals, and allow students get a running start on an associate degree at Atlantic Cape—all at reduced tuition.
Dual Enrollment
The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education established dual enrollment programs to increase access to postsecondary education for the state’s high school students. Dual enrollment programming provides an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit by taking college-level courses while simultaneously earning their high school diploma.
Dual credit courses are taught at Atlantic and Cape May County high schools by high school teachers who meet college-level educational standards. These high school teachers work closely with Atlantic Cape faculty liaisons to ensure the academic rigor the students exhibit in their high school course is equivalent to Atlantic Cape’s college course. Upon dual credit course completion, the student receives a letter grade that is recorded on their high school transcript as well as their official Atlantic Cape Community College transcript.
High school dual enrollment programs require that students apply for admission to Atlantic Cape by completing the Early College application by the dual enrollment deadline specified for that academic year. Students pay a reduced tuition rate for dual-credit courses as approved annually by Atlantic Cape's Board of Trustees.
Concurrent Enrollment
Some high schools also offer Atlantic Cape courses taught by Atlantic Cape faculty at the high school or remotely. These concurrent courses vary from semester to semester and are scheduled in consultation with each area high school guidance office. Concurrent courses are offered in a wide range of subject areas and allow high school students to explore potential areas of study or careers.
Students in concurrent courses are required to apply for admission to Atlantic Cape by completing the Early College application. Placement testing and course prerequisites must also be met. Students pay a reduced tuition rate for concurrent courses as approved annually by Atlantic Cape's Board of Trustees.
Articulation Agreements
Articulation agreements with area high schools are designed to provide students with a pathway to earn college credit through coursework taken at the high school. Interested students should contact their high school guidance counselors or other school representatives to verify an agreement has been established with Atlantic Cape. Students may earn credit for these courses once they have graduated from high school, applied for admission to Atlantic Cape, and completed the majority of their Atlantic Cape degree requirements. The courses and credits specified in these agreements are eligible as transfer credits at Atlantic Cape and will be applied to the student's academic record and appear on their college transcript upon their final semester at Atlantic Cape. Career programs that participate in articulation agreements include (but may not be limited to) Aviation Studies, Business Administration, Child Development/Child Care, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Engineering, Health Science, Hospitality Management and Media Studies.