Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual enrollment in Maryland, explained for parents

Published September 17, 2026

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Maryland dual enrollment is free to families for students who have met the Blueprint's College and Career Readiness Standard. A public college may not bill a dually enrolled student for tuition, and the county board pays 75 percent of it. Your school system has to cover at least two courses each fall and spring.

Who: A student enrolled at the same time in a Maryland secondary school and a Maryland institution of higher education
Tuition: A public college may not charge a dually enrolled student; the county board pays 75 percent of the cost
Once the CCR Standard is met: The Post-CCR pathway is at no cost to the student or family, fees included
Covered minimum: Two courses per fall semester and two per spring, plus first-attempt exam fees
Beyond that: Extra courses, and any summer course, are the family's cost
Runs through: The State Board of Education and the Accountability and Implementation Board, under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future

Who pays for dual enrollment in Maryland?

State law takes the student out of the transaction. Education Article 15-127 says a public institution of higher education may not charge tuition to a dually enrolled student, and that the county board shall pay 75 percent of the cost of tuition for a public institution in the state.

Where an agreement predating July 1, 2020 set the county's share below 75 percent, that older agreement governs, and these agreements can be reviewed and changed every two years. So the exact split at your community college may be a local number with history behind it.

The Blueprint layered a stronger promise on top of that for one group of students. A student who has met the College and Career Readiness Standard enters a Post-CCR pathway at no cost to the student or the family, and the Blueprint counts fees inside that promise.

What the CCR Standard has to do with the bill

The Blueprint's goal is that a student meets the College and Career Readiness Standard by the end of 10th grade, and no later than graduation. The State Board adopted a new standard in January 2024 and revised it in March 2025 to add further ways to meet it, effective for the 2025-26 school year.

Once a student meets it, they enter a Post-CCR pathway. Dual enrollment is one of the listed pathways, aimed at an associate degree or at least 60 credits toward a bachelor's degree, sitting alongside a competitive college preparatory program and a set of career and technical education programs. The associate degree is a destination on that list in its own right.

Districts have been narrowing who they fund as the money tightened. Montgomery County Public Schools says that beginning July 1, 2026 it will fund tuition, fees, textbooks, and instructional materials only for students who meet the state's CCR standards, and it cut dual enrollment funding by $1.4 million for 2026-27.

How many courses are covered?

The floor is set statewide. In a joint policy adopted in May 2024 and revised on September 30, 2025, the State Board of Education and the Accountability and Implementation Board resolved that local education agencies are responsible for at least two dual enrollment courses per fall semester and two per spring for each CCR student, a possible four a year, plus exam fees tied to those courses on a first attempt.

Districts may cover more than the minimum, and some do. Students may also enroll in additional courses beyond what the district covers, and those land on the family, including anything taken over the summer.

The Maryland line we point families to is the phrasing in that policy, which promises two per fall and two per spring rather than four whenever you want them. Plan the school year as two halves and the covered courses go further.

What if my teen has not met the CCR Standard yet?

There is still a door. The joint policy says students who have not yet met the standard shall have initial access to Post-CCR pathways, including developmental or corequisite dual enrollment courses used as CCR supports, and introductory career and technical courses.

The 2025 CCR Standard policy defines that initial access as the first two courses of a Post-CCR pathway. It is a runway rather than the full program, and it exists so a student who is close does not simply get told to wait a year.

Ask the counselor which courses at your community college are treated as CCR supports, because those are the ones a student in this position can start with.

What the county adds on top

The statewide policy is a minimum, and each county fills in the rest. Carroll Community College gives Carroll County Public Schools dual enrollment students a full discount on tuition, fees, and books for up to four classes, two in fall and two in spring, and charges 75 percent of standard tuition for anything beyond that.

Homeschool and private school students in Carroll County get different terms, a 25 percent tuition discount for fall and spring with all fees still owed. Montgomery County runs several programs with different limits, from two courses a semester in one to the full set of courses required for a degree in another.

Two families in two counties can be looking at very different bills for the same course. The county's own published dual enrollment page is the document to read before anyone signs anything.

What the Blueprint changed

Chapter 164 of 2024, from House Bill 1426, amended Education Article 7-205.1 effective June 1, 2024. It let the State Board and the Accountability and Implementation Board, in consultation with each local school system, limit the number and types of dual enrollment courses a Post-CCR student may take in a year while school funding phases in.

The joint policy is what that authority produced. The state was direct about the reason, noting that the cost of tuition and fees for CCR students' dual enrollment courses may exceed what local school systems receive through the CCR per pupil formula in Education Article 5-217 for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027.

The policy runs from fiscal 2025 through fiscal 2027. That end date belongs in your calendar, because what a district owes your family after it is a live question rather than a settled one.

Questions to ask your counselor

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

Has my teen met the CCR Standard, and if not, which route is closest?
Which courses at our community college count as CCR supports for initial access?
How many courses will our school system pay for this year, and does that include fees and books?
What does our county charge for a fifth course, or for a summer course?
Which Post-CCR pathway is this course part of, and where does that pathway end?

Frequently asked

Is dual enrollment free in Maryland?

For a student who has met the College and Career Readiness Standard, yes, fees included, under the Blueprint. A public college may not charge tuition to any dually enrolled student, and the county board pays 75 percent of it under Education Article 15-127.

How many dual enrollment courses does my school system have to pay for?

At least two per fall semester and two per spring, four a year, plus exam fees on a first attempt. Districts may cover more. Courses beyond that, and any summer course, are the family's cost.

What is the CCR Standard in Maryland?

The College and Career Readiness Standard under the Blueprint, meant to be met by the end of 10th grade and no later than graduation. The State Board adopted a new version in January 2024 and added further ways to meet it in March 2025, effective for 2025-26.

Can my teen start dual enrollment before meeting the CCR Standard?

Yes, through initial access, which the 2025 CCR Standard policy defines as the first two courses of a Post-CCR pathway. In practice that means developmental or corequisite courses used as CCR supports, and introductory career and technical courses.

Who pays for books and fees in Maryland?

It varies by county. The Blueprint's no-cost promise for CCR students covers fees. Carroll Community College gives Carroll County students tuition, fees, and books at no charge for up to four classes, while Montgomery County will fund textbooks and materials only for CCR students beginning July 1, 2026.

Can dual enrollment lead to a degree in Maryland?

Yes. The Blueprint names dual enrollment or an early college program leading to an associate degree, or to at least 60 credits toward a bachelor's degree, as one of the Post-CCR pathways a student can choose.

Sources

Maryland State Board of Education and Accountability and Implementation Board, Joint Implementation Policy #1, Dual Enrollment (revised September 30, 2025) · the two-courses-per-semester minimum, exam fees, initial access, Chapter 164 of 2024, and the fiscal 2027 end date
Maryland Education Article 15-127, dually enrolled students · no tuition charged to the student, the 75 percent county share, and pre-2020 agreements
Carroll Community College, Dual Enrollment Tuition · a county example, including the homeschool and private school rate
Montgomery County Public Schools, Dual Enrollment · eligibility measures, program course limits, and the July 1, 2026 funding change

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 (Louisiana) A Board of Regents floor for eligibility, four ways to clear it, and a bill the district assembles out of state and federal funds. TOPS Tech Early Start covers career courses for juniors and seniors.
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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