Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual enrollment in Michigan: Postsecondary Enrollment Options, explained for parents

Published September 13, 2026 · Updated September 17, 2026

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Michigan's dual enrollment law lets qualified students in grades 9 through 12 take college courses the high school does not offer, at public or private colleges in the state. The district pays tuition and fees up to a prorated share of the state foundation allowance; the family pays anything above that, plus books and supplies. A student can take up to ten district-funded courses across high school, with per-grade limits.

Who: Qualified students in grades 9 through 12
Which courses: Ones the high school does not offer
District pays: Tuition and fees up to a prorated share of the state foundation allowance
Family pays: Any tuition above the district share, plus books and supplies
Limit: Ten district-funded courses across grades 9 through 12
The law: MCL 388.511 to 388.524 and 3 more

Who is eligible?

A student in grades 9 through 12 who has qualifying scores on a state-approved readiness test, or who is taking a course in a subject the tests don't cover. The district confirms eligibility and sends the family a letter saying so, and that letter is the document we ask Michigan families to keep, because it is what the college needs before it will enroll your teen under the district's payment. The course also has to be one the high school doesn't offer, or one the district agrees is not comparable to what it offers.

What does it cost?

The district pays tuition and fees up to a prorated share of the state's per-pupil foundation allowance, which is a number the state sets each year. For a community college course, that share usually covers the whole bill. For a university course with higher tuition, the family pays the difference. Books and supplies are the family's in either case.

Ask the counselor for the exact dollar amount the district will pay per course this year, and compare it to the college's tuition before choosing where to enroll.

How many courses can my teen take?

Ten district-funded courses across grades 9 through 12, and the per-grade limits depend on when the student starts. A student who first enrolls in 9th grade can take no more than two courses a year in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade, and no more than four in 12th. A student who starts in 10th grade can take no more than two that year and no more than four in each of 11th and 12th. A student who starts in 11th or 12th grade can take up to six a year. Those limits do not apply where the district has a written agreement with the college, and a district can agree to fund more on its own if it decides that is in the student's best educational interest, so the ten is what you can ask for and the district can go beyond it.

A student who fails or does not complete a course has to repay the district whatever the college does not refund, unless the college determines the course was dropped for a family or medical emergency. That is a rule in the statute rather than a district choice.

What the Michigan Transfer Agreement covers

Michigan has the Michigan Transfer Agreement, a block of 30 general-education credits that transfers as a whole among participating public and private colleges in the state. A dual enrollment course that counts toward the MTA at the college awarding it moves with the block for an in-state student. Beyond the MTA, and out of state, each course is reviewed on its own, and the University of Michigan and Michigan State each publish their own dual enrollment credit policies.

Where did Michigan's dual enrollment program come from?

Michigan's program began with Public Act 160 of 1996, titled the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act, the same name Minnesota had used eleven years earlier. Under the act the district pays the college the lesser of the actual charges or a prorated share of the state foundation allowance, which is Minnesota's funding logic in Michigan's terms. Students paid nothing for tuition, books, or fees, parents handled transportation, religious courses were excluded, and a student could not enroll in a college course if the district offered a comparable one. Michigan covered nonpublic school students from the first day, a year before Minnesota did. The comparable-course rule is the one families still bump into most, and it has been there since 1996.

Questions to ask your counselor

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

What dollar amount will the district pay per course this year, and how does it compare to the college's tuition?
Is the course my teen wants considered comparable to one the high school offers?
How many of the ten funded courses has my teen used, and what is the limit for their grade this year?
Does the course count toward the Michigan Transfer Agreement at the awarding college?

Frequently asked

Is dual enrollment free in Michigan?

The district pays tuition and fees up to a prorated share of the state foundation allowance, which usually covers a community college course. The family pays any tuition above that, plus books and supplies.

What grade can you start dual enrollment in Michigan?

Ninth grade, if the student has qualifying readiness test scores and the course is one the high school doesn't offer.

How many dual enrollment courses can you take in Michigan?

Up to ten district-funded courses across grades 9 through 12. A student who starts in 9th grade is limited to two a year through 11th and four in 12th; one who starts in 10th to two that year and four in each of 11th and 12th; one who starts in 11th or 12th to six a year. Districts can fund more at their discretion.

Which courses qualify for dual enrollment in Michigan?

Courses the high school does not offer, or that the district agrees are not comparable to what it offers, in a subject where the student has a qualifying readiness score or that the tests do not cover.

Do Michigan dual enrollment credits transfer?

Courses that count toward the Michigan Transfer Agreement move among participating Michigan colleges as a block. For other courses, and out of state, the receiving college decides.

Sources

Michigan Department of Education, Postsecondary Dual Enrollment Options FAQ · eligibility, the payment rule, the per-grade course limits, and repayment
East Grand Rapids High School, dual enrollment · an example of how a district applies the prorated payment
University of Michigan Admissions, dual enrollment · how a selective university treats the credit
Michigan Public Act 160 of 1996, Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act · sections 2 to 7

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 at about 60 colleges, 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) Free at most large community colleges, and capped at $60.10 a credit hour in tuition at FAST colleges. Students with free or reduced lunch in the last five years pay nothing there.
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 (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.
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, though the tuition waiver lives in rule rather than in statute. Families pay special course fees and transportation.
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 statute funds up to four courses in each of grades 10, 11, and 12. The community college scholarship covers two a year, 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) Every district has to run a dual credit program, and no statute says who pays for it, 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 published $99 ceiling on what a college may charge a high school student, a statutory formula that reads differently, and a scholarship that funds two general education courses across junior and senior 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. The law page saves separately, for the day a school gives an answer that does not match the statute. 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.

Save to My FastTrack