Head Start on College: Dual Enrollment Strategies In New England 2004-2005

More and more high school students are reducing their college costs and getting a head start on college through various programs that enable them to earn up to two years' worth of tuition-free college credit. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation asked JFF to explore the degree to which New England secondary and postsecondary institutions are implementing one of these approaches: dual enrollment. While Advanced Placement usually benefits students bound for selective college, dual enrollment is more likely to serve lower-income and minority students.

This report focuses on dual enrollment programs serving young people who may not consider themselves “college bound.” It poses questions about whether dual enrollment could—or should—be developed as an approach to increasing the number of college graduates in the region. A program guide, included in the report, profiles 19 dual enrollment partnerships, with vignettes from each New England state.