Earning Dual Credit
Wake County Public School System students can earn both high school credit and free community college credit for courses they take while in high school. There are several programs available to achieve this.
- Cooperative Program Agreement (also called Huskins Bill) - provides enrichment opportunities for high school students by enrolling in courses not otherwise available to them. Over 100 courses have been specifically identified in the annual agreement, which are taught by Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) instructors and are held at Wake Tech or at a WCPSS school. Students receive both WCPSS credit and WTCC credit. Classes are free for our students. Student must be in ninth-grade or higher.
- Concurrent Enrollment (also called dual enrollment) - allows WCPSS students to take almost any course at Wake Tech that is not included in the Cooperative Program Agreement, and not offered at the student's high school. Tuition is free for our students. Students receive both WCPSS credit and WTCC credit. Students must be at least 16-years old. Intellectually gifted students under 16-years old may be able to participate, but will not receive WCPSS high school credit. See also WCPSS Board Policy 5534.
- Learn and Earn Online - allows students to take online college courses at any of the NC community colleges and earn both high school and community college credit.
- Articulation Agreement - allows students to receive advanced placement credit for completion of identified Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses in high school. A final grade of B or better and a raw VoCATS score of 80 or better is required. This creates a systematic and seamless process in which students can move from high school to community college without having to duplicate efforts or repeat courses.
- Wake Early College of Health and Sciences - is a small WCPSS high school located on the Health Sciences campus of Wake Technical Community College. This unique school allows students the opportunity to earn their high school diploma as well as an Associate degree in five years. This school is a personalized, rigorous, innovative high school themed around health and sciences.
CTE Career Pathway Credit
Community college courses can be used as a CTE career pathway elective course for those students in the Career Prep or College Tech Prep course of study. College courses that are similar to courses in the Career Pathway Course list (Word, 84 KB, PDF, 28 KB) can be used to satisfy this requirement.
A second-level community college course, one that builds on the learning in a previous course, can be used as a capstone (completer) course for a CTE career pathway. These courses typically have a Roman numeral two as part of the course title.
Chris Droessler
School-to-Career Coordinator
Wake County Public School System
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.