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What is Concurrent Enrollment?

Concurrent Enrollment allows you earn college credit while still in high school. Concurrent Enrollment courses are taken at COD campuses and students earn college credit.

Why Should You Enroll?

  • Get Ahead: Finish college courses early, saving time and money.
  • Free College Credits: Many courses are free, saving you on future tuition costs.
  • Be Prepared: Get a taste of college life and coursework to ease your transition after high school.
  • More Choices: Access classes and subjects not available at your high school.
  • Explore Careers: Try different fields of study to help decide your future career path.

Things to Consider:

  • More Work: College classes can be challenging and require good time-management skills.
  • Increased Workload: College courses may be more rigorous and demanding, requiring strong time-management skills.
  • Impact on High School Experience: Balancing college and high school responsibilities may affect participation in high school activities.
  • Academic Performance: Poor performance in concurrent enrollment courses can affect college transcripts.
  • Busy Schedule: Balancing college and high school activities can be tough.
  • Grades Matter: Your performance can affect your college transcript, both positive and negative.

Student FAQs

Concurrent Enrollment allows high school students to take college-level courses at COD and earn college credit. You are considered a “special admit” student for the community college.

You can take classes in Fall, Winter Intersession (7 credits), Spring and Summer (7 credits). During Fall and Spring, students can take 11 credits.

Students 9-12 are eligible to take courses. You must meet the prerequisites for the college course, you work with your high school to obtain approval to participate.

No, tuition is covered by the State of California as long as you stay within the credit limit. You may have to purchase textbooks. 

Yes, for the most part, the credits easily transfer within the state of California. Some exceptions are private schools. You must reach out to the school and understand their concurrent enrollment transfer policy.  

Because you’re taking college-level coursework, expectations (workload, rigor) may be higher; you’ll need to manage your schedule carefully. By signing up for a college course, you are starting a college transcript. 

You should be prepared for college-level work in terms of maturity, time-management, study habits. COD has resources available for students such as tutoring, library and counseling. Please visit our website.

Dropping or withdrawing can affect your college records. Drops are not recorded on the transcripts but withdrawals are shown. A few withdrawals are OK. Be sure you understand deadlines for drops and withdrawal at the college. Also note that poor performance could affect your college admissions.

You will remain enrolled in high school and be a high school student, but you will also be a college student. Students enrolled in Concurrent Enrollment will need to contact COD on their own if they have any questions related to COD including their class and account. You should not have your parents reach out to COD on your behalf. We are limited in what we can say to parents of college students, regardless of age.


Parent FAQs

Your child will gain access to college coursework, earn college credits "early", potentially lower college costs, develop college readiness, and finish college sooner. California’s strategic plan for community colleges envisions students completing 12 college units during high school.

Consider the following: good academic standing, readiness for independent study, maturity, ability to handle college schedule demands.

Tuition/enrollment fees may be waived under special admission status as long as students stay within their credit limit. Students may have to purchase textbooks.

Work with your student on figuring out where they want to go to college after high school and research the institution's transfer policy for concurrent enrollment. 

Yes, they remain enrolled in high school. But they will also function as college students. Students enrolled in Concurrent Enrollment will need to contact COD on their own if they have any questions related to COD including their class and account. Parents should not reach out to COD on behalf of their student. Please help your students learn to advocate for themselves. We are limited in what we can say to parents of college students, regardless of age.

Because college courses follow college policies (including FERPA – privacy law for college students), you may need your child’s authorization to receive course information. Encourage your child to keep you in the loop, meet regularly with their high school counselor, and monitor both high school and college transcripts.

That college grade becomes part of their college transcript—it may affect future admissions, financial aid eligibility, or GPA calculation. Under California’s framework goal, concurrent enrollment is intended to help readiness, not penalize. But poor performance still carries consequences.

  1. Will the course transfer? 
  2. What are the deadlines for registration, drop, withdrawal, etc.? 
  3. Is there academic support (tutoring, counseling)? 
  4. How will this affect my child’s schedule, extracurriculars, and workload? 

Downloadable PDF version of Concurrent Enrollment FAQs.

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