FAQ

Get all your questions answered about 12x12x12.

• What is the difference between Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment, Early Entry, and Advanced Placement courses?

  Dual Credit is a program that offers the opportunity to earn both high school AND college credit for the same course that you take at your high school. Beginning fall 2023, students will pay $12 per credit hour for dual credit courses. The average dual credit course is 3 credit hours for which students will pay $36.

  Dual Enrollment is a program that offers dual credit courses that are taught at JJC by JJC faculty members. Some high schools pay for their students to participate in Dual Enrollment programs. Other high schools require that students pay to participate in Dual Enrollment programs. The Dual Enrollment programs at JJC include Architecture, Construction and Engineering Program (ACE), Advanced Integrated Maintenance Program (AIM), CISCO, and Public Safety (Fire Science, Emergency Medical Services, and Law Enforcement).

  Early Entry: Early Entry enrollment allows students under age 17 or younger to be considered for admission into Joliet Junior College while also enrolled in high school.  Early Entry students do not receive dual credit (high school credit) for the courses they take. Early Entry students take college courses at JJC and taught by JJC faculty members. These students pay the regular tuition and fees for the course just like regular JJC students.

  Advanced Placement:  Advanced Placement (AP) courses are courses that high school students take to earn college credit by taking AP exams at the end of the course. One of the major differences between dual credit and AP courses is that when students take dual credit courses, they do not have to take an exam at the end of the course to determine whether they will earn college credit. Dual credit students earn college credit for courses when they pass the dual credit course at their high school that also counts for high school credit.  

• Who should take dual credit courses? Is it only for Honors students or students with a high GPA?

  All students are encouraged to take dual credit courses.  Some dual credit courses require that students meet the placement requirements in order to take the course. Math and English courses are good examples. There are many ways to meet the placement requirements for a course including taking a placement test. You can learn more about placement testing here. Some dual credit courses require that students take a prerequisite course (or a course that provides students with knowledge and skills before they take a college-level course) and some do not have prerequisites.

  There are plenty of dual credit courses such as Psychology 101 (General Psychology), Political Science 101 (American National Government), and Music 102 (Exploration of American Music) that do not require that students meet placement requirements or take prerequisite courses.

• If a student is not yet a junior or senior in high school, but would like to take dual credit courses in the future, how can they prepare to be successful in dual credit classes?

  To prepare for dual credit, develop good study habits in your current high school classes. Speak to the teachers at your high school who teach Dual Credit courses and ask for their advice regarding what skills you need to develop in order to be successful in their Dual Credit classroom.

• What are the benefits of taking dual credit courses?

  The benefits of taking dual credit courses include being able to take college-level courses in the comfort of your high school and at the same time that you take some of your high school classes, saving over 80% of the cost of taking college courses, and improving your chances of succeeding when you get to college. Studies show that dual credit students are more likely to stay in college until they graduate than students who do not take dual credit courses.

• What are dual credit courses like? How are they different from a regular high school class?

  The content students learn in dual credit courses is the same content that JJC college students learn when they take the course on our campus. Since they are college courses, dual credit courses are academically challenging in a way that may be similar to Honors or AP courses.

• Is there academic support available for students taking dual credit courses?

  Yes! All of the support resources available to JJC students such as tutoring and library services are also available to dual credit students. Please visit the TLC webpage for more information.

• What will happen if I take a dual credit course and don’t do well in it?

  If you are not receiving a “C” or higher in a dual credit course, we suggest you speak with your high school teacher. If your teacher feels you will not pass the course, they can contact the Dual Credit Office at JJC to request that you be withdrawn from the Dual Credit portion of the class. This way, there will not be a grade lower than a “C” on your permanent JJC record or transcript. If you are withdrawn from the dual credit portion of a course, you may continue to take the course for high school credit.