Guides · State programs · By FastTrack Advising

Dual Credit in South Dakota, explained for parents

Published September 18, 2026

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South Dakota's High School Dual Credit program lets juniors and seniors take college courses at $80.37 a credit hour for 2026-27, because the state pays half of an already reduced rate. Juniors qualify with a 3.50 GPA, upper-third class rank, or a 24 ACT. Seniors qualify at 3.25, upper half, or a 21.

Who: Juniors and seniors, under South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-37.1
Tuition: $80.37 a credit hour for 2026-27, about $241 for a three-credit course, and the college may not add fees
The cheaper door: Concurrent credit, taught in the high school, at $40 a credit hour
Junior entrance bar: A 3.50 GPA, upper third of the class, a 24 ACT, or an equivalent test score
Senior entrance bar: A 3.25 GPA, upper half of the class, a 21 ACT, or an equivalent
Credit cap: 10 credits, about three courses, in a semester without an approved waiver

What the $80.37 covers

South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-37.1 builds the price in two moves. The Board of Regents sets a high school dual credit tuition rate at 43 percent of the undergraduate per-credit rate, using the rate in effect on January 1 of the previous fiscal year. The student then pays half of that reduced figure and the state pays the other half, a 50-50 split the legislature set in 2025 at chapter 82 of that year's session laws. For 2026-27 the student's half comes to $80.37 a credit hour, which South Dakota State University and Lake Area Technical College both publish, with Lake Area listing $241.11 for a three-credit class.

The statute also forbids the institution from requiring any additional fees, which is unusual and worth holding them to. What remains on the family is everything else about attending a college: textbooks, course materials, and any technology a course assumes. Lake Area Tech states plainly that a high school student enrolled in its courses cannot receive federal financial aid, so this is cash out of pocket.

The Board of Regents does not publish the dollar figure. Its dual credit page gives the $40 concurrent rate and describes the reduced tuition without naming a number, and its own account of the split is behind the law, still saying the student pays a third when the statute has said half since 2025. The figure that carries a year is Lake Area Technical College's, which states that the 2026-27 cost is $80.37 per credit hour as approved by the Department of Education. Treat $80.37 as the governing number for 2026-27.

Not every campus page has caught up with it. The University of South Dakota and Northern State University still publish $78.48, the prior year's figure, on their dual credit pages, and South Dakota State publishes $80.37 with no year and a subject-to-change note. What we tell families in South Dakota is to take the number from the campus that will award the credit, in the month you enroll, because the rate resets annually and the pages do not all update together.

The two doors, and the price difference between them

High School Dual Credit is the state-subsidized program at $80.37 a credit hour. Concurrent credit is a separate arrangement, taught inside the high school by a high school teacher, and the Board of Regents prices it at $40 a credit hour. A high school student who enrolls as an ordinary non-degree-seeking student, outside both programs, pays full tuition plus applicable fees.

So the same three credits can cost $120, $241, or several hundred dollars more, depending entirely on which program the course sits in. That is the first question to ask about any course on the list, and it is the one most likely to be answered wrong by guessing.

Who qualifies

The program is for grades 11 and 12, and each institution sets its own admission standards under the statute. In practice the regental universities use a common set. A junior qualifies with a cumulative 3.50 GPA, a rank in the upper third of the class, a 24 ACT composite, or an 1180 SAT. A senior qualifies with a 3.25, the upper half, a 21 ACT, or an 1080 SAT.

There are side doors for students who do not clear those. Completing the Advanced Honors Endorsement coursework qualifies, as do Level 3 or higher scores on the grade 11 Smarter Balanced assessments in English and math, a PreACT composite of 24, and qualifying ACCUPLACER Next Generation scores. A student who meets the college's standard undergraduate admission requirements is also in.

Individual courses layer their own placement scores on top. At Lake Area Technical College, a course marked as transferable to the four-year universities has to meet Board of Regents placement standards, so its English composition course wants an 18 English ACT, a 263 writing Accuplacer, or a 3 on the Smarter Balanced English section.

The rule about failing or withdrawing

This is the provision South Dakota families most need to see before their teen registers. Under 13-28-37.1, a student who receives a failing grade in any course, or withdraws after the deadline and does not receive credit, may no longer participate in the program.

It is not permanent. The Board of Regents or the South Dakota Board of Technical Education can reinstate a student who shows good cause, or who retakes and passes the course at their own expense. The default, though, is exclusion, and readmission runs through a board rather than a counselor.

That argues for a conservative first semester. One course, in a subject your teen is strong in, taken early enough that a bad fit surfaces before the withdrawal deadline, protects access to everything that follows. The statute also bars the program from being used for remedial courses, so a placement score that lands a student below college level has to be fixed before the program is any use to them.

How many credits, and when to apply

The Board of Regents limits a student to 10 credits, roughly three courses, in a semester, unless a waiver is approved. At the University of South Dakota, adding courses past 10 credit hours requires a petition.

Applications open on fixed dates and have to be renewed every term. November 1 opens spring, March 1 opens summer, and April 1 opens fall. Students reapply each semester through the Board of Regents system, and the practical advice from the state's own materials is to apply at least a week before the class starts.

Districts can help with the cost. The statute lets a school district pay any portion of the student's share, which is a question worth asking directly rather than waiting to be told.

Where the credit lands

Inside the state the answer is clean. Dual credit coursework transfers to all six South Dakota public universities, which is the most reliable outcome available to a family here. Technical colleges, private colleges, and institutions in other states each read the transcript on their own terms, and Transferology is the tool the state points families to for checking.

Set against the prices, the arithmetic is worth doing. Thirty credits at $80.37 costs $2,411 before books, and at the $40 concurrent rate it costs $1,200. Under the 10-credit semester cap a student who starts as a junior can reach 30 credits with a term to spare, so the binding constraint is usually what the high school and its partner campus offer rather than the ceiling.

Questions to ask your counselor

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

Is this course High School Dual Credit or concurrent credit, and what does each cost per credit here?
Which of my teen's scores or class rank qualifies them, and does the school have it on file?
How many credits will the school approve in one semester, and who signs a waiver above 10?
Does our district pay any part of the student's share, as the statute allows?
Who buys the textbook for each course, and what did it cost last year?
Which of these courses transfer across all six public universities, and which sit outside that?

Frequently asked

How much does dual credit cost in South Dakota?

$80.37 a credit hour for 2026-27, about $241 for a three-credit course. Lake Area Technical College states that figure with the year and the Department of Education approval attached, and South Dakota State publishes the same number. The state pays the other half of the reduced rate, and the college may not add fees. Concurrent credit taught in the high school is $40 a credit hour.

Who qualifies for dual credit in South Dakota?

Juniors need a 3.50 GPA, upper-third class rank, a 24 ACT, or an 1180 SAT. Seniors need a 3.25, the upper half, a 21 ACT, or an 1080 SAT. Smarter Balanced, PreACT and ACCUPLACER scores and the Advanced Honors Endorsement are alternate routes.

How many dual credit courses can a South Dakota student take at once?

The Board of Regents caps a student at 10 credits, about three courses, in a semester unless a waiver is approved. The University of South Dakota requires a petition to go above 10 credit hours.

What happens if my teen fails a dual credit course in South Dakota?

Under 13-28-37.1 the student may no longer participate in the program. The Board of Regents or the South Dakota Board of Technical Education can reinstate them for good cause, or after they retake and pass the course at their own expense.

When do South Dakota dual credit applications open?

November 1 for spring, March 1 for summer, and April 1 for fall. A student reapplies every semester through the Board of Regents, and applying at least a week before the class starts is the state's own advice.

Do South Dakota dual credits transfer?

To all six South Dakota public universities, yes. Technical colleges, private colleges, and out-of-state institutions each evaluate the transcript on their own terms, and Transferology is the tool the state points families to.

Sources

South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-37.1 · grades 11 and 12, the 43 percent formula, the even split with the state as amended by SL 2025 ch 82, the no-extra-fees rule, the failure provision, and the district's option to pay
South Dakota Board of Regents, Dual Credit · the $40 concurrent credit rate and the full-tuition alternative; it publishes no dollar figure for dual credit and still describes the student share as a third
Our Dakota Dreams, High School Dual Credit · junior and senior eligibility routes, the 10-credit semester cap, application dates, and transfer inside the state
South Dakota State University, High School Dual Credit · the $80.37 a credit rate for 2026-27 and the eligibility thresholds
University of South Dakota, Dual Credit · the petition above 10 credit hours, application dates, residency, and the $78.48 figure still posted
Lake Area Technical College, Dual Credit Options · the 2026-27 cost of $80.37 a credit as approved by the Department of Education, $241.11 for three credits, placement scores on transferable courses, textbooks, and the financial aid rule
Northern State University, High School Dual Credit · the alternate qualification routes and the older rate still published

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.
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 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 Credit 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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