Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual enrollment in Louisiana, explained for parents

Published September 17, 2026

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Louisiana dual enrollment puts a high school student in a college course that earns credit on both transcripts, at a technical, community, or four-year college. The Board of Regents sets the minimum eligibility, a 2.5 high school GPA for academic courses and 2.0 for technical ones. What a family pays depends on the district and the college.

Academic courses: 2.5 cumulative high school GPA plus a subject score or a counselor recommendation
Technical courses: 2.0 cumulative high school GPA, or a counselor recommendation
Other ways in: A 3.0 subject-area GPA with a counselor recommendation, a 2.5 college GPA from prior dual enrollment, or an approved Early College Academy
Where: Technical, community, and four-year colleges, taught at the college, at the high school, online, or hybrid
Who pays: The district, from the Minimum Foundation Program, the Supplemental Course Allocation, federal Title funds, Perkins, or the Education Excellence Fund
TOPS Tech Early Start: Up to $600 an academic year for 11th and 12th graders at a Louisiana public high school

Who is eligible?

The Board of Regents sets a floor and each college builds on it. Academic Affairs Policy 2.22 gives a student four separate ways to qualify for an academic dual enrollment course, and meeting any one of them is enough.

The first is a 2.5 cumulative high school grade point average together with either a qualifying subject score on an approved assessment or a counselor recommendation based on grade trends in that subject. The second is a 3.0 subject-area grade point average plus a counselor recommendation in that subject. The third is a 2.5 college grade point average already earned in dual enrollment, which opens every subject area rather than one. The fourth is meeting the thresholds of an approved Early College Academy.

Technical dual enrollment is looser, since the two-year colleges are open admission. A 2.0 cumulative high school grade point average qualifies, and so does a counselor recommendation on relevant high school performance, a 2.0 college grade point average from earlier dual enrollment, or an Early College Academy threshold. We tell Louisiana families to pull Policy 2.22 up on a phone during the counselor meeting, because the counselor recommendation route is one of the four and it gets forgotten.

What does it cost?

Louisiana has no single price and no statewide waiver. Districts assemble the money from whatever fits, and the Department of Education lists the sources: the Minimum Foundation Program, the Supplemental Course Allocation, Title I, Title IV, and Title V, Perkins for approved career and technical courses, Career Development Funds, TOPS Tech Early Start, and the Education Excellence Fund.

What that means at the kitchen table depends on the college and the district. SOWELA Technical Community College charges $50 a credit hour when a high school instructor teaches the course and full tuition and fees when a SOWELA instructor does, which it illustrates at $566.88 for a three-credit face-to-face course. SOWELA also says billing practices vary from school district to school district and tells families to ask their own.

Ask the counselor who gets billed for this specific course, at this specific college, this year. The answer moves with the instructor and the funding source, and a course that was covered last year is not automatically covered now.

What is TOPS Tech Early Start?

TOPS Tech Early Start is a state award for 11th and 12th graders at a Louisiana public high school who are working toward an industry-based occupational or vocational credential in a top demand occupation. It pays up to $600 an academic year and covers up to six credit hours a semester.

The bar is a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale plus one readiness marker: at least 15 on ACT English and math, a Silver level on ACT WorkKeys, or meeting the Board of Regents technical dual enrollment eligibility.

It is narrow on purpose. It does nothing for a student taking English composition for transfer, and it does not reach students at nonpublic high schools. For a teen heading into welding, process technology, or healthcare support, it can carry most of a year's coursework.

Will the credit transfer?

For Louisiana public universities, the Board of Regents built a route. The Louisiana Transfer Degree, awarded as an Associate of Arts Louisiana Transfer or an Associate of Science Louisiana Transfer, is a 60-hour degree made of 39 general education hours and 21 additional hours.

A student who finishes it with a C or better in every course arrives at a Louisiana public university with the general education requirements met in full and upper division standing. Dual enrollment credits can count toward that degree, which is the cleanest version of the transfer question a Louisiana family gets to ask.

Course by course, outside that degree, the receiving institution still decides, and a private or out-of-state college decides on its own terms entirely. The Board of Regents runs a statewide portal at LaDualEnrollment.com with course searches and each institution's published eligibility rules, which is the fastest way to check a specific pairing.

Where does the course happen, and who teaches it?

Policy 2.22 allows all four arrangements. A dual enrollment course can be taught onsite at the college, onsite at the high school, online, or in a hybrid form, and the postsecondary institution has to satisfy its accreditation requirements for awarding the credit in every case.

The instructor matters for the bill more than for the credit. SOWELA's two prices, $50 a credit hour with a high school instructor and full tuition with a college instructor, come from that distinction rather than from any difference in what the transcript ends up saying.

It also matters for how many courses a high school can offer. A 2023 Board of Regents release described three Louisiana universities building graduate certificate programs so more high school teachers could be credentialed to teach college courses, which is what widens the course list at a given school.

Where did the statewide framework come from?

Act 128 of the 2019 Regular Session created a Dual Enrollment Framework Task Force and told it to review the state's laws and policies alongside other states', and to coordinate dual enrollment across the Board of Regents, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Education, the public postsecondary management boards, and every public high school's governing authority.

In December 2019 the two boards set a joint goal that every high school freshman starting with the class of 2025 would graduate with some college credit, a market-relevant credential, or both. Policy 2.22, effective for the 2023-24 academic year, is the eligibility piece of that work.

Participation followed. A Board of Regents release reported dual enrollment up 11 percent over two years, with half of the graduates who earned college credit or a credential doing it through dual enrollment courses.

Questions to ask your counselor

Bring these to the first meeting. The answers decide most of the plan.

Which of the four eligibility routes in Policy 2.22 does my teen already meet?
Which college awards the credit, and what does it require on top of the state minimum?
Who gets billed for this course, and out of which funding source?
Is this course taught by a high school instructor or a college instructor, and does that change the price?
Do these courses count toward the Louisiana Transfer Degree?
Would my teen qualify for TOPS Tech Early Start, and which programs here are eligible?

Frequently asked

What GPA do you need for dual enrollment in Louisiana?

A 2.5 cumulative high school GPA for an academic course, paired with a qualifying subject score or a counselor recommendation. Technical courses need a 2.0. A 3.0 subject-area GPA with a counselor recommendation, or a 2.5 college GPA from prior dual enrollment, also qualifies.

Is dual enrollment free in Louisiana?

It depends on the district and the college, because there is no statewide waiver. Districts pay from the Minimum Foundation Program, the Supplemental Course Allocation, federal Title funds, Perkins, TOPS Tech Early Start, and the Education Excellence Fund, and SOWELA notes that billing practices vary from district to district.

What is TOPS Tech Early Start?

A state award of up to $600 an academic year for 11th and 12th graders at a Louisiana public high school pursuing an industry-based credential in a top demand occupation, covering up to six credit hours a semester, with a 2.0 cumulative GPA required.

Do Louisiana dual enrollment credits transfer?

Within the state, the Louisiana Transfer Degree carries 60 hours to a public university with general education met in full and upper division standing. Course by course, the receiving institution decides, and private or out-of-state colleges set their own terms.

Can a dual enrollment course be taught at my teen's high school?

Yes. Board of Regents policy allows the course onsite at the college, onsite at the high school, online, or hybrid. The college still has to meet its accreditation requirements for awarding the credit.

Who runs dual enrollment in Louisiana?

The Board of Regents sets minimum eligibility and runs the statewide portal at LaDualEnrollment.com. The Department of Education handles the school system side, including the funding guidance districts follow.

Sources

Louisiana Department of Education, Dual Enrollment · the definition and the rule that students meet the standards of the college awarding credit
Louisiana Board of Regents, Academic Affairs Policy 2.22, Minimum Requirements for Dual Enrollment · the four academic and four technical eligibility routes, and the four course modalities
Louisiana Department of Education, Dual Enrollment Resources · the funding streams a district may use
LOSFA, TOPS Tech Early Start · $600 an academic year, six credit hours a semester, the 2.0 GPA and readiness markers
SOWELA Technical Community College, Dual Enrollment · the $50 a credit hour high school rate against full tuition on campus, and that billing varies by district
Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana Transfer Degrees · 60 hours, general education met in full, upper division standing
Louisiana Board of Regents, Dual Enrollment · Act 128 of 2019 and the task force charge
Louisiana Board of Regents, expanding dual enrollment participation · the 11 percent growth and the class of 2025 goal

Rules change. These were checked September 2026. Confirm the current version with your school before you act on any of it.

About FastTrack Advising

FastTrack Advising. FastTrack Advising works on dual enrollment and nothing else. We help families choose college courses a high schooler can take now that will still count toward the degree later, we check every course against the transfer rules of the colleges they name, and we stay in the picture through registration so the plan gets used. When the answer for a student is to wait a term, we say that too.

Other state programs

All state programs

PSEO (Minnesota) Free tuition, books, and required fees for 10th through 12th graders, with a May 30 notice deadline that many families miss.
Running Start (Washington) Tuition-free college courses for juniors and seniors at Washington's community and technical colleges and a few universities. Families still pay fees and books, and the student gets to campus on their own.
College Credit Plus (Ohio) Open to 7th through 12th graders, free at Ohio public colleges for public school students, with an April 1 letter of intent and a 30-credit annual cap.
Dual credit (Texas) Each college sets its rate and each district decides how much to cover. Students who qualified for free or reduced lunch in the last five years pay nothing at colleges in the FAST program.
Dual enrollment (Florida) Tuition-free by state law, with a 3.0 unweighted GPA and a qualifying PERT, SAT, or ACT score to get in. Public school students get textbooks covered too.
Dual enrollment (California) Community college courses for 9th through 12th graders through a district partnership called CCAP, with no enrollment fees and no textbook costs, capped at 15 units a term.
Dual Enrollment (Georgia) State funding covers tuition, fees, and books for 30 semester hours, mostly for juniors and seniors. After 30 hours the family pays the college's rate, and ninth graders are outside the program entirely.
Career & College Promise (North Carolina) Tuition paid by the state at community colleges for juniors and seniors with a 2.8 unweighted GPA. Whether the district covers fees and books, and who drives, varies by district.
Concurrent Enrollment (Colorado) Open to 9th through 12th graders with an approved academic plan. The district pays tuition at the community college rate; books and fees are usually the family's, and so is getting to campus.
Dual credit (Illinois) Governed by the Dual Credit Quality Act and a model agreement between each district and college. Whether your teen pays depends on that agreement.
Early College Credit and Start College Now (Wisconsin) Two programs, one for the technical colleges and one for universities, both for juniors and seniors. The district pays most or all of the tuition, and applications are due March 1 for fall and October 1 for spring.
Dual credit (Indiana) Every Indiana high school has to offer dual credit. Priority courses at public colleges cost at most $25 a credit hour, and nothing for students on free or reduced lunch.
Dual enrollment (Michigan) Grades 9 through 12, for courses the high school doesn't offer. The district pays tuition up to a state-set share; anything above it, plus books, is yours. Ten courses across high school.
Dual Enrollment (Alabama) Rising 10th through 12th graders with a 2.5 GPA, at $133 a credit hour plus fees, with a state scholarship that covers some courses when the legislature funds it. No credit cap at all.
Dual Enrollment (Tennessee) The lottery-funded Dual Enrollment Grant pays up to $620.55 for each of the first five courses, then much less. One June 30 application covers the whole academic year.
Dual enrollment (Pennsylvania) Every school entity has to hold at least one dual credit agreement, and none of them has to pay for the courses. The agreement states the cost, and published rates run from $83.50 to $230 a credit.
Dual enrollment (Virginia) Juniors and seniors at the community colleges. Courses on a College and Career Ready Virginia pathway cost the family nothing, and courses outside it are billed at the college rate.
Dual enrollment (Arizona) A community college course taught inside the high school during the school day. Concurrent enrollment is the separate arrangement where the student goes to the college. Price is set district by district.
Dual enrollment (South Carolina) College courses through the state's 16 technical colleges, priced by each college and district, with Lottery Tuition Assistance covering part of the tuition once a student carries six credit hours in a term.
Dual enrollment (Maryland) The Blueprint moved the bill off families for students who meet the College and Career Readiness Standard, and set a floor of two covered courses each fall and spring. Counties add their own terms on top.
Concurrent Enrollment (Utah) College courses for $5 a credit hour, taught mostly inside the high school by a college-approved teacher. Each college sets its own admission bar, and books are still yours.
Concurrent Enrollment (Oklahoma) Juniors and seniors get tuition waived by the State Regents, 18 credit hours a year for seniors and 9 for juniors. Fees and books stay with the family, and each college sets its own entrance bar.
Dual enrollment (New York) No single statewide program. CUNY's College Now is free for New York City public school students, SUNY campuses price their own, and a new state rule makes districts file their partnership agreements in 2026.
Dual enrollment (Massachusetts) Two state programs. CDEP waives tuition and fees at public campuses for eligible high schoolers, mostly in the spring, and designated Early College builds the courses into the school day at no cost.
Concurrent Enrollment (Iowa) College courses run through a district contract with a community college, at no tuition cost to the family. Iowa also runs PSEO, and the two programs treat a failed course differently.
Concurrent Credit (Arkansas) State policy bars a college from billing the family for tuition, fees, or materials on a concurrent credit course. A 2025 scholarship replaced the old Concurrent Challenge grant and pays $65 a credit hour.
Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit (Mississippi) Mississippi separates the two terms in statute. Dual enrollment earns college credit only; dual credit earns high school credit too, and the distinction decides whether the course helps your teen graduate.
Dual Enrollment (Nebraska) Nebraska has no single statewide program, so the price depends on which college your high school partners with. The ACE scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees for students who qualify on income.
Dual Credit (New Mexico) A statewide program where the college charges no tuition and the school district buys the books. Families pay special course fees and transportation, and the guidance is two courses a semester until graduation requirements are done.
Early College (Maine) Maine pays college tuition for high schoolers through the Aspirations Program, and the class of 2027 forward gets 18 tuition-free credits for the whole of high school.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (New Hampshire) The state and the community colleges cover two courses a year for students in grades 10 through 12, and most of those courses are taught inside the high school.
Dual Enrollment (Vermont) Two vouchers, each covering tuition on a college course of up to four credits, for any Vermont student who has finished grade 10, including home study students.
Dual credit (West Virginia) A state-funded pilot pays tuition and academic fees for courses on approved career pathways, for public, private, charter, microschool, learning pod, and homeschool students alike.
Dual enrollment (Delaware) No statewide program makes it free. State regulation puts the policy on every district and charter, bars turning a student away over money, and most courses run through Delaware Tech.
Dual enrollment (New Jersey) No statewide free tuition. Public colleges must sign dual enrollment agreements and districts choose whether to join, so the price and the eligibility rules come from your own county college.
Dual enrollment (Connecticut) A board policy rather than a statute sets the rules. Concurrent credit courses are capped at $50 a credit, CT State covers two courses a semester for qualifying juniors and seniors, and UConn ECE has run since 1955.
Accelerated learning (Oregon) Oregon calls the whole category accelerated learning. Dual credit at the high school is free or close to it at most community colleges, and Expanded Options moves a junior or senior onto a campus at no charge to the student.
Dual enrollment (Nevada) No statewide free tuition. Districts sign cooperative agreements with NSHE colleges and each agreement names who pays, so the price runs from $25 a credit at the high school to $154 on a university campus.
Concurrent enrollment (Kansas) Concurrent enrollment means the college course is taught at the high school, and it is not free by default. Excel in CTE pays tuition for approved technical courses, and a district board may cover the rest if it chooses to.
Dual Credit (Kentucky) A $99 ceiling on what a college may charge a high school student, and a state scholarship that pays that rate for one general education course a year.
Dual Credit (Missouri) Missouri draws a line between dual credit and dual enrollment based on who teaches, and the price and the GPA tier both follow from that.
Dual Credit (Idaho) Every Idaho public school student gets $4,625 to spend on college credit between grades 7 and 12, and the fund pays $75 a credit, which is what colleges charge.
Dual Credit (North Dakota) Tuition is the family's here, at a reduced rate that changes with who teaches the course, and Bank of North Dakota covers two courses a year for students on free or reduced lunch.
Dual Credit (South Dakota) Juniors and seniors split a deeply reduced tuition rate with the state, at $80.37 a credit hour, under a statute with a hard rule about what happens if a course goes badly.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (Rhode Island) A state fund covers tuition and fees for part-time college courses at the three public institutions, and the statute behind it caps that fund at whatever the budget appropriates each year.
Early College and Running Start (Hawaii) Two programs run off one statute that never says who pays. Early College comes to the high school and the school usually covers it; Running Start puts the student on a UH campus at that campus’s published rate.
Dual Enrollment (Alaska) No state program and no state money behind it. What a college course costs an Alaska family depends on which University of Alaska campus offers it and whether the school district signed an agreement.
Dual Enrollment (Montana) The first two courses or six credits carry no tuition anywhere in the Montana University System, fees are waived, and everything after that costs half of resident two-year tuition, around $60 a credit.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment (Wyoming) State law bars a college from charging a participating student for textbooks, materials, student services, or any other fee, and from 2026-27 the state starts reimbursing districts for what it costs them.

Planning Dual enrollment for your teen?

Save this page and the state's deadlines show up on your own My FastTrack page, next to the tools. Which courses to take, in which order, so the credits still count at the college your teen ends up at, is the part we do with families.

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