Dual Enrollment in Vermont: Flexible Pathways vouchers, explained for parents

Two vouchers, and what each one buys

Vermont does not fund dual enrollment by the semester or by the credit. It hands an eligible student two vouchers for the whole of high school, and a voucher covers tuition on a single college course of up to four credits at a participating college. Students use one voucher per semester, which is why two courses in one term is not how this works.

At the Community College of Vermont, the two vouchers add up to about eight college credits at no tuition cost. The voucher stops at tuition: books and materials are the family's, and VSAC has funding to help with those costs for students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

Because there are only two, the choice of course carries more weight in Vermont than in states that fund by the term. Spending one on a course a student is curious about is a fine plan; spending both on courses that fill no requirement anywhere is the outcome to avoid.

Who qualifies, in the statute's words

Under 16 V.S.A. 944 the program is open to a Vermont resident who has completed grade 10 and has not received a high school diploma, enrolled in a Vermont public school, a career technical center, an approved independent school, the Adult Diploma Program, or a home study program. Most students are juniors and seniors; sophomores who have finished grade 10 typically use a summer session.

Two approvals sit in front of the voucher. Dual enrollment has to be part of the student's Personalized Learning Plan, and the secondary school and the college both have to find the student adequately prepared for the course. For a home study student, the parent or guardian provides that guidance and approval.

The statute also protects the credit at home. A Vermont secondary school has to accept postsecondary credit awarded for a dual enrollment course at a Vermont public postsecondary institution toward its graduation requirements, so the course counts twice by law rather than by negotiation.

How the state pays the college

The funding mechanism explains the shape of the program. When the college employs the instructor, the state pays tuition at the Community College of Vermont rate, or 90 percent of it when CCV is the college. When the secondary school employs the instructor, the state pays 20 percent of the CCV rate.

That second number is why a Vermont high school can afford to host a college course taught by one of its own teachers. Those on-site courses use the same vouchers, so a student taking one at their own high school spends a voucher exactly as a student driving to a campus does.

The account, the voucher, and the calendar

The process runs in two steps through the Agency of Education system. A student creates an account, and the secondary school coordinator approves that account once before any voucher can be requested. After that the student logs in and requests a voucher for a specific course.

The college application is separate and comes first at most campuses. At CCV, a student applies to the college, picks a course that fits the Personalized Learning Plan, and then requests the voucher through the state system with the counselor verifying eligibility.

The calendar runs a semester ahead. The University of Vermont's guide puts plan preparation in September and October for a spring course, applications in early November, the voucher in mid-November, and its own deadline in early January; the fall cycle starts in February and closes in mid-August.

Early College is the other Vermont option

A senior who wants more than two courses has a different door. The Early College Program under 16 V.S.A. 946 lets a 12th grader enroll full time for one academic year at a participating institution, tuition free, with that year serving as both the senior year of high school and the first year of college.

Early College and the two vouchers are separate programs with separate applications, and both sit under the Flexible Pathways Initiative in 16 V.S.A. 941. A family choosing between them is choosing between a taste of college and a full year of it.

What we tell families in Vermont

We tell Vermont families to decide which two courses the vouchers are for before the first one is spent, and to write both into the Personalized Learning Plan at the same meeting. The plan is the gate, and a course that is not in it does not get a voucher.

We also tell them to look hard at the associate degree route through CCV. Two free courses are a test of readiness rather than a degree plan, and a student who passes that test can keep going at a Vermont public campus where the credits already count. A private or out-of-state college makes its own transfer decisions, so ask it directly before the second voucher is spent.

Questions to ask your counselor

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

• Is dual enrollment written into my teen's Personalized Learning Plan for the term we want?
• Has the school coordinator approved my teen's account in the state system yet?
• Which participating colleges do students here usually take courses from?
• What do the books and materials cost, and do we qualify for VSAC help with them?
• Should we save one voucher for senior year, or use both before then?
• Is Early College a better fit for senior year than a second voucher course?

Frequently asked

How many free college courses can a Vermont student take?

Two in total before finishing high school. Each voucher covers tuition on a course of up to four credits at a participating college, and students use one voucher per semester.

Who is eligible for Vermont dual enrollment?

A Vermont resident who has completed grade 10 and has no high school diploma, enrolled in a public school, career technical center, approved independent school, the Adult Diploma Program, or a home study program.

Do the vouchers cover textbooks?

No. A voucher covers tuition only. VSAC has funding that can help with books and materials for students eligible for free or reduced price lunch.

Can home study students in Vermont use a dual enrollment voucher?

Yes. Home study students are named in 16 V.S.A. 944, and the parent or guardian provides the guidance and approval that a school counselor would provide for a public school student.

Does the course count toward a Vermont high school diploma?

Yes. The statute requires the secondary school to accept postsecondary credit awarded for a dual enrollment course at a Vermont public postsecondary institution toward its graduation requirements.

What is the difference between dual enrollment and Early College in Vermont?

Dual enrollment is two individual courses on vouchers. Early College, under 16 V.S.A. 946, is a full tuition-free year at a college for a 12th grader, serving as both the senior year and the first year of college.