OTC Dual Credit is the most inexpensive option in the area and transfers well to other colleges! Explore the information below and within the right-hand menu to learn more about why so many schools choose to partner with OTC Dual Credit!
| 23/FA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Summer Break | (online) | Priority Registration Ends for Online/Roster Verification (only continues if space is available) | |
| 8/12/2023 | (seated/onsite) | Educator Conference for Instructors | |
| 8/18/2023 | (online) | Canvas Opens for Enrolled Students (Test/Troubleshoot Technology Access) | |
| 8/21/2023 | (online) | First Day of Classes (Students can start submitting work) | |
| On or before August 27th | (online) | No Bill, if drop before this date | |
| August 28 | September 3rd | (online) | 50% Bill, if drop within date range |
| After September 3rd | (online) | Full Bill, if drop after | |
| 9/4/2023 | (all) | Labor Day (College Closed) | |
| 9/13/2023 | (seated/onsite) | Registration Ends & Roster Verification | |
| 9/18/2023 | (seated/onsite) | Full Bill, if drop after | |
| 9/20/2023 | (online) | Monthly Grade Report | |
| 10/2/2023 | (all) | Fall Break (College Closed) | |
| 10/3/2023 | (all) | College Development Day (No Classes) | |
| 10/23/2023 | (online) | Midterm Grade Reports | |
| 10/19/2023 | (seated/onsite) | Registration Opens for Spring Semester Only Classes | |
| 11/1/2023 | (seated/onsite) | New Instructor/New Course Application Due for Next Semester | |
| 11/5/2023 | (all) | Payment Window Opens | |
| 11/16/2023 | (online) | Monthly Grade Report | |
| 11/22/2023 | 11/26/2023 | (all) | Thanksgiving (College Closed) |
| 12/4/2023 | (all) | Last day to drop or withdraw, W on transcript | |
| 12/5/2023 | (all) | Payment Window Closes | |
| 12/9/2023 | 12/15/2023 | (online) | Final Assessments |
| 12/18/2023 | (seated/onsite) | Final Grades Due in myOTC by Instructors | |
| 12/19/2023 | (online) | Final Grades Reports | |
| 12/20/2022 | Before Winter Break | (online) | Priority Registration Ends for Online/Roster Verification (only continues if space is available) |
| TBA | TBA | (all) | College Closed: Winter Break |
| January | (seated/onsite) | Remuneration Checks to Schools |
The benefits to students who take dual credit courses are numerous:
Schools and teachers also benefit when students enroll in dual credit classes. For seated classes at the high school, OTC remunerates a portion of dual credit tuition back to participating schools and approved dual credit instructors gain experience teaching college curriculum.
OTC Dual Credit offers two learning formats: seated and online.
A seated format means students receive instruction from an approved high school instructor as part of their school day. Typically, this type of instruction is in-person and at the high school location. The subjects available for seated classes depend upon the credentials of each high school instructor and accreditation standards.
Note: High school instructors not listed on course options by school partner page may be OTC course facilitators for the online option below, but are not dual credit instructors as indicated above.
Online courses mean students receiving instruction from an OTC instructor and participating in class with other college students of various ages. This type of instruction only exists in the online format. Many area high schools offer this option for high school students to complete in a computer lab as part of the school day. The subjects available for online classes at the discounted dual credit rate are limited to a specific class list, provided on the course options page.
The partnering high school determines which format option is provided to students at their high school. See more information about these options within this page, the right-hand side menu, and within the FAQ – Online v. Seated, Costs.
Students enrolled in dual credit are college students. The expectations outlined below assist students with how to navigate college before high school graduation!
In college, FERPA states educational rights are limited solely to the student, no matter the student’s age. Meaning, we cannot disclose student information to parents, even when students are minors. Students are encouraged to contact OTC directly.
Therefore, OTC expects dual credit students to act like college students, perform at the college level, and be responsible for their own education. The college-level expectations include attendance and active class participation, meeting class objectives and deadlines, and seeking academic help through the resources like the tutoring center. Additionally, students are encouraged to use and respond to their myOTC portal email, especially to contact their course instructor directly when a concern or questions relevant to class arises.
Students who are unable to actively participate in online class(es), are withdrawn from class(es) for non-participation.
Online dual credit students follow OTC’s Academic Calendar; meaning, when a student’s high school is not in session, OTC assignments are still due before the deadline. For more information, visit the important online dual credit link.
Carefully review the Important Online Dual Credit Information and How to be a Successful Online Learner before deciding to pursue online classes.
The limited list of online class subjects, for the discounted dual credit price, is provided within the dual credit admission steps and checklist.
OTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommision.org), an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Our current accreditation status can be viewed here. Our next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2020-2021.
OTC participates in the CORE 42 Transfer Guarantee program. Most courses offered through OTC Dual Credit transfer to other public institutions in the state. The few courses that are not CORE 42, are noted in the class list within the admission steps. Math courses with a CORE 42 prerequisite (MTH 131 & MTH 140) will satisfy the math general education credit portion of CORE 42, but may not directly transfer to all four-year universities like other CORE 42 courses. Non-CORE 42 courses still have transfer agreements with other colleges and universities. Students are responsible for consulting with other college institutions about transfer policies. For more about these topics, visit documents and links.
Costs
An overview of costs and payments for families is provided on the About page.
See course options by school partner for the cost per class by approved courses and schools.
Payment Options
Some schools wish to cover the costs of dual credit. If so, schools may request, sign and return an optional financial agreement to allow OTC to bill the school directly instead of families. School partners can choose to cover classes and/or course materials for all students. OTC cannot partially bill a school district for some of its students. Schools interested in covering the costs for all students must complete a financial agreement with the dual credit office before enrollment begins. Signed and returned agreements are automatically valid for an academic year.
Schools that do not cover costs should direct families to the payment section on the About page.
Remuneration
OTC Dual Credit is the most inexpensive option and gives the most amount of funds back to our school partners, as compared to other colleges in the area. While OTC charges the least in the area at $55 a credit hour, we give the maximum back to high school partners at $25 a credit hour.
For the seated dual credit option only (courses taught at the high school with an OTC-approved instructor) OTC remunerates $25 per credit hour back to the partnering school district for each student who successfully completes the course offered. High School Partners determine how the funds are used locally. Some schools choose to use the funds to pay instructors for their instruction, to train-up instructors to become eligible to teach dual credit, for student scholarships, or for instructional costs like the purchasing of course materials for the dual credit class.
Online and live virtual course options are not eligible for remuneration.
Dual credit students have two scholarship opportunities. See the section header of the same name under About Dual Credit for more information.
No matter the course learning format, high schools determine if course materials are the student and family’s responsibility or if the school covers the course materials costs.
For seated courses, with an approved high school instructor, the course materials used at high schools are either the same as those course materials used on campus (see OTC Bookstore verbacompare hyperlink below) or those deemed equivalent by the course department chair. High school personnel are responsible for obtaining special permission from course department chair for use of other materials than those required of students on campus. The department chair can provide one copy of the on-campus course material to the approved high school instructor. Otherwise, depending on the course materials format, schools can determine if students will receive access to an individual copy of the course materials (recommended) or if students will have access to a classroom set of the course material.
For online courses, with an OTC instructor, students same course materials as those used by other students in online courses with OTC.
Course materials information is listed twice within the steps to enroll as well as accessible through the student’s myOTC account and on the OTC Bookstore page (see hyperlink below). Within the admission steps, students can see approximate costs of course materials by class within step four and the hyperlink to online class list for dual credit, and enrolled students can use step five Obtain Course Materials for further directions on how to see course material information within the student’s myOTC account.
Use the OTC Bookstore site to see course materials information: https://otc.verbacompare.com/ In the drop down, select Springfield & Online, the semester, enter course code information, and then Compare Prices button.
Learn more about OTC’s AutoAccess program, for any courses with “AutoAccess” listed.
For course materials, individually or as a bundle, questions about electronic course materials, or for school paid purchase options, please use your enrolled student roster to contact gotts@otc.edu
While enrollment in OTC Dual Credit grows each semester for the last several years, we are still accepting new school partners! Remember, OTC Dual Credit costs the least, gives the most back to school districts in remuneration, and OTC credits transfer just as well if not better than our competitors! Any school within the OTC Service Area can participate in OTC Dual Credit. Partnerships with schools outside our service area may be available upon request. Follow the steps below in sequence to partner with OTC Dual Credit. The required steps are listed in bold below.
First, review the information provided on this page and within the right-hand menu to learn more about OTC Dual Credit!
Second, determine the type of dual credit to offer at your school: seated with a high school instructor, online with an OTC instructor, or both. (See more about class types by expanding the Learning Format Options section.) For the seated option, prospective instructors should complete the process outlined on the Dual Credit Instructor page before moving forward.
Third, obtain a principal signature on the Dual Credit Agreement (request via dualcredit@otc.edu). Let us know which type of dual credit is requested in the communication. Afterward, we will provide the relevant OTC Dual Credit letter(s) for marketing to students and parents and as a helpful resource to school personnel throughout the upcoming semester.
Fourth, if the school partner wishes to cover the cost of classes and/or course materials, then the school must also obtain a principal signature on the Financial Agreement (request via dualcredit@otc.edu). The Financial Agreement is optional; not returning the Financial Agreement will result in billing applied to the student accounts only.
Fifth, after submitting the document(s) above, eligible students may begin the enrollment process.
We hope to partner with you! If questions exist after review of the information provided, then please let us know at dualcredit@otc.edu
After a signed partnership agreement is provided (see How to Partner section), students can proceed with the steps below.
Once an agreement is signed, students and high school counselors should review the admission process. Deadlines for completion of enrollment by semester and learning format, are also posted on the admission process page. Please Note: OTC’s schedule may not align with the student’s high school academic calendar. All dual credit students are expected to abide by OTC policies and deadlines regardless of high school status.
Next, review OTC’s course options by school partner or the online course options to view dual credit course offerings. Then, complete registration using DualEnroll. Seated high school students must contact their school counselors to assist them with the enrollment process. Homeschool students who have never used DualEnroll should contact dualcredit@otc.edu for enrollment user guides.
Students are not enrolled until they receive a “confirmed enrollment” email from dualcredit@otc.edu
The dual credit office communicates a roster of enrolled students before enrollment deadlines, if students are enrolled. School partners can access their list of completed registrations using the DualEnroll ‘completed enrollments’ report.
We hope students are successful; However, if a student is considering dropping, we highly recommend they first review the drop deadline, refund schedule, the possible impact on financial aid in the section below, as well as discuss high school credits and graduation concerns with the school counselor at school and parents or guardians, before completing the process below.
All college credit activity is evaluated for the purpose of obtaining financial aid for college courses after high school graduation. Meaning, that activity in dual credit courses counts toward the student’s ability to obtain financial aid for college courses in future semesters. Evaluation for financial aid includes enrollment(s), dropping course(s), and all final letter grades earned. It is important that students make an informed decision regarding how dropping a class may impact their financial aid ability before dropping the course. Review the policy on our website before contacting financialaid@otc.edu office with any further questions.
The school counselor determines if the student is eligible to drop based on their graduation requirements at their high school. Students should request a drop via their DualEnroll account by clicking on the three ellipses next to the class on their registration activity page and selecting the “drop” option.
The number of classes students take in high school differs from the amount taken in college and the credits for each class differ as well. Most full-time high school students take 7 to 8 high school classes each semester. College students typically take less classes that are worth more credits. Four classes, or 12 college credits, is considered full-time in college. The average full-time college student takes four to five classes, or 12 to 15 credit hours, each semester.
Most first-time college students struggle with the differences in expectations, rigor, time commitment, and the level of independence and responsibility that comes with being in college, as opposed to their high school classes. Dual credit students often have to juggle more than high school and college classes. These students often participate in sports, clubs, and work as well.
Therefore, we recommend students start with two college classes, or 6 credit hours, their first semester. Students can take a maximum of four classes, or 12 credits, each semester. If students successfully complete 4 classes, or 12 college credits, with a 3.0 or higher GPA on their final grades, in a previous semester, they may enroll in 5 classes or 15 credits afterward. For more than five classes, or 15 credits, students will have to submit a time management plan, special permission from their parent and school counselor or principal to dualcredit@otc.edu, prior to enrollment. Students cannot take more than 18 credit hours in a semester.
While you (or a school representative) proctor online courses each day, the proctored event is a special and significant piece of each online course with OTC. Here is some additional information to assist you with proctored events.
Overview:
Options & Process to Completion:
Contact:
For more information, see Dual Credit Documents and Links.