This article appeared in the VC Star on July 24, 2021
As Ventura County’s high school students get ready to return to in-person classes this fall, they may want to consider attending college while in high school to enhance their academic or career education and get a head start on their degree or career education certificate. Interested students can do this through the dual enrollment program, which is offered to high school students throughout the state free of charge.
The Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) dual enrollment program allows students to enroll in college-level courses through Moorpark College, Oxnard College or Ventura College and earn credits toward their college degree or certificate.
For the 2020-21 academic school year, 6,213 students participated in the VCCCD dual enrollment program. Over the past five years, the program has experienced an impressive 68.5% growth. Interestingly, every student enrollment status — except dual enrollment — showed decreases during the 2019-2020 year, statewide and at VCCCD.
Goal-oriented students interested in the challenge and rewards of college can thrive in dual enrollment. Helping them succeed are a full range of academic support services at the colleges, as well as the opportunity to participate in student life activities. This includes access to free tutoring, peer mentors, career centers, counseling, college events and other college enrichment opportunities.
VCCCD provides three avenues for dual enrollment, with the most popular being the College and Career Access Pathways program (CCAP). Authorized by Assembly Bill 288 in 2015, CCAP enables high school students to take college courses — taught by college professors — on their high school campus.
The two other dual enrollment avenues are also available: one that allows high school students to take courses on a college campus and a middle college high school model that integrates a high school “campus” into a community college.
Dual enrollment is designed to assist underrepresented students from low-income backgrounds to graduate from high school with college credits, increasing college-going awareness and preparedness. Approximately nine percent of Black students and 11% of Latinx students enroll in dual enrollment classes in California, compared to 14% of white students and over 18% of Asian students.
The VCCCD student population mirrors California, with 54% Latinx, 30.23% white, 6.5% Asian, 1.63% Black, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 0.21% Native American, 4.20% two or more races, and 3.46% unreported.
This past year, the VCCCD board of trustees endorsed a resolution to promote and expand diversity, equity and inclusion. This resolution promises to address the diverse needs of our constituents, which includes students, employers and our community partners.
Dually enrolled high school students are exempt from paying for college course credits, so they save money on higher education costs. They can create an educational plan for college while previewing campus life and obtaining an understanding of what it takes to be successful in college.
The program also inspires students to complete their goals. Research indicates that dually enrolled students are also more likely to graduate high school and pursue an associate and/or bachelor’s degree.
Dual enrollment also offers students a cost-effective way to explore areas of interest and identify the educational pathway they want to pursue upon high school graduation. Entering college with a career focus that supports individual interests will reduce completion timeframes, minimize related expenses and provide the student with a degree/certificate based on their interests and desires to support a successful career.
As proof of the value of dual enrollment, a 2020 survey by BestColleges.com found that 82% of the respondents stated that college was a “good financial investment;” however, 61% said they would pursue a different degree if they could go back.
Regional economic recovery starts at home. VCCCD is committed to our students and communities, with the end goal of saving students and their families money on post-secondary education, as well as providing the region with a skilled workforce!
For more information about the dual enrollment program, visit vcccd.edu.
Dr. Cynthia Herrera is the Vice Chancellor, Institutional Effectiveness at the Ventura County Community College District.