Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual enrollment in South Carolina: Dual credit, explained for parents

Published September 17, 2026

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South Carolina dual enrollment lets high school students take college courses through one of the state's 16 technical colleges, earning credit on both transcripts. There is no single statewide price. Each college and district sets its own, and Lottery Tuition Assistance covers part of the tuition for South Carolina residents carrying at least six credit hours.

Who: Usually rising juniors and seniors, with each technical college setting its own bar
Where: South Carolina's 16 technical colleges, at the high school, on campus, or online
Tuition: $50 a credit hour at the high school up to $200 a credit hour on campus at the colleges checked here
Lottery Tuition Assistance: Needs South Carolina residency, a FAFSA or waiver, and at least 6 credit hours in the term
SC WINS: $50 a credit hour up to $600 a semester for critical workforce courses, plus a book allowance
On the transcript: Dual credit carries one quality point above college prep under the Uniform Grading Policy

What does dual enrollment cost in South Carolina?

There is no state price. Each technical college publishes its own rate and each district decides how much of it to absorb, so two families forty miles apart can pay very different amounts for the same course.

Piedmont Technical College charges $50 a credit hour when the course is taught at the high school or career center and $150 a credit hour when a student takes a single course on campus or online, and it charges nothing to a South Carolina resident carrying six to twelve credit hours. Trident Technical College lists $200 a credit hour for the first five hours and states that dual credit high school students are responsible for tuition, textbooks, and fees unless the high school or district directs otherwise.

That last clause is the one to chase down. Some South Carolina districts pay the bill and some pass it to the family, and the counselor will know which one applies at your school.

What does Lottery Tuition Assistance cover?

South Carolina's lottery funds tuition assistance for students at the technical colleges, and a dually enrolled high school student can receive it on the same terms as anyone else. Greenville Technical College lists them: South Carolina residency, a FAFSA or a FAFSA waiver form, enrollment in a certificate, diploma, or associate degree program, and at least six credit hours per semester.

The award is a per credit hour figure set each year. Trident Technical College listed $75 a credit hour for 2025-26. Greenville notes that the money applies to tuition and required student and technology fees, does not reach books or course fees, and cannot be combined with a LIFE Scholarship.

We ask South Carolina families to count credit hours before they count dollars, because a single three-credit course sits under the six-hour line and draws nothing at all. Two courses in one term can come out cheaper than one.

Is my teen eligible?

Each technical college writes its own admission standard, and they differ more than families expect. Piedmont Technical College opens dual enrollment to rising juniors and seniors, including homeschooled students inside its seven-county service area. Trident Technical College requires junior or senior standing, residency in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester county, a 3.0 weighted high school grade point average, and specific grades in the prerequisite subjects.

The state adds a floor for career and technical students. South Carolina Department of Education guidelines require an unweighted 2.5 grade point average and satisfaction of all program and course prerequisites for a student earning dual credit on the career and technical track.

Start with the college your high school already partners with. Its published page is the binding one, and a rule you read on a neighboring college's site does not carry over.

How does a dual credit course affect the high school GPA?

South Carolina weights it. Under the Uniform Grading Policy, a dual credit course applicable to a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, or a certification program leading to an industry credential carries one quality point above the college prep weighting, under the district's articulation agreement with the college.

That is honors-level weight, so a B in a dual enrollment section is worth more in class rank than a B in a standard one. The condition is the articulation agreement, which means the weighting depends on the district having one in place for that specific course.

The college grade stands on its own and it stays put. It opens a college transcript that follows your teen to every school they later apply to, including as a transfer student years from now.

Will the credit transfer?

Inside South Carolina there is real structure behind this. The state publishes statewide transfer blocks, approved by South Carolina's public colleges and universities, listing the courses that count toward a bachelor's degree in a given field at the four-year public campuses.

There are blocks for arts, humanities, and social sciences; for science and mathematics; for engineering and engineering technology; and for business, with separate guides governing teacher education and nursing. When the course your teen wants sits inside one of those blocks, its path through the public system is already settled.

Out of state, and at private colleges anywhere, none of that binds anyone. Look up the receiving school's own policy early enough that the second semester of courses can be chosen around the answer.

What is SC WINS, and can a dual enrollment student get it?

SC WINS is a workforce scholarship that sits on top of Lottery Tuition Assistance and covers tuition and mandatory fees left after other scholarships and grants are applied. A dually enrolled high school student can qualify for it.

A student qualifies through either of two routes: already receiving Lottery Tuition Assistance while taking courses in a critical workforce area, or already receiving Lottery Tuition Assistance while qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The award runs $50 a credit hour up to $600 a semester, with a book allowance of up to $300 a year for critical workforce coursework.

Critical workforce areas are defined by the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and include healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, hospitality and tourism, and transportation. If your teen is heading toward a technical certificate or an associate of applied science, that list is worth reading before picking a first course.

Questions to ask your counselor

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

Which technical college do we partner with, and what is its rate per credit hour this year?
Does the district pay any part of that, and what would our family owe?
Would my teen reach six credit hours in one term, so Lottery Tuition Assistance applies?
Do we have an articulation agreement covering this course, so it carries the extra quality point?
Is this course inside a statewide transfer block for the field my teen is considering?

Frequently asked

Is dual enrollment free in South Carolina?

Sometimes, and it depends entirely on the college and the district. Piedmont Technical College charges nothing to a South Carolina resident carrying six to twelve credit hours, while Trident Technical College lists $200 a credit hour and says dual credit students pay tuition, books, and fees unless the district directs otherwise.

Can a high school student get South Carolina Lottery Tuition Assistance?

Yes, on the same terms as any other technical college student: South Carolina residency, a FAFSA or waiver, enrollment in a certificate, diploma, or degree program, and at least six credit hours in the term. Trident Technical College listed the award at $75 a credit hour for 2025-26.

What GPA do you need for dual enrollment in South Carolina?

It depends on the college. Trident Technical College asks for a 3.0 weighted high school grade point average. The South Carolina Department of Education's guidelines set an unweighted 2.5 for a career and technical student earning dual credit.

Does dual credit raise a South Carolina high school GPA?

Yes, by one quality point above the college prep weighting under the Uniform Grading Policy, for a course applicable to a degree or an industry credential and covered by the district's articulation agreement with the college.

What grade can my teen start dual enrollment in South Carolina?

Most technical colleges take rising juniors and seniors. Piedmont Technical College admits rising juniors and seniors, including homeschooled students in its service area. Trident Technical College requires junior or senior standing plus county residency.

What is the SC WINS scholarship?

A workforce scholarship layered on Lottery Tuition Assistance, worth $50 a credit hour up to $600 a semester plus a book allowance, for students in critical workforce areas or qualifying for free and reduced-price meals. Dually enrolled students are eligible.

Sources

South Carolina Department of Education, Dual Credit Guidelines for Career and Technical Education Completer Status · the unweighted 2.5 requirement and the one quality point above college prep
Piedmont Technical College, Dual Enrollment · rising juniors and seniors, tuition free at six to twelve credit hours, $50 and $150 a credit hour otherwise
Trident Technical College, Dual Credit Program · the 3.0 weighted GPA, $200 a credit hour, and who is responsible for the bill
Greenville Technical College, South Carolina Lottery Tuition Assistance · eligibility rules, the six credit hour minimum, and what the award does not cover
Williamsburg Technical College, SC WINS · the two qualifying routes, the award amounts, and the 16 technical colleges
SC TRAC, Statewide Transfer Blocks in South Carolina · the blocks by field and which institutions approved them

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 (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. 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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