Grand Canyon University Dual Enrollment: An Affordable Pathway to College Success

Grand Canyon University (GCU) offers dual enrollment classes, providing an affordable and efficient way for high school students, including homeschooled students, to get a head start on their college degrees. GCU's dual enrollment program allows students to earn college credit while still in high school, potentially reducing the time and cost of completing a college education. GCU, as a Christian university, integrates a Christian worldview into its courses, allowing students to deepen their faith while gaining knowledge.

Benefits of Dual Enrollment at GCU

Taking dual enrollment courses at GCU offers numerous advantages:

Accelerated College Pathway: Earning college credit while still in high school can significantly reduce the time it takes to earn a college degree.
Cost Savings: Dual enrollment courses are offered at a reduced tuition rate, potentially saving students money on college tuition, books, and fees. All courses are $52.50 per credit.
College-Level Experience: Dual enrollment courses provide students with college-level academic knowledge and skills, preparing them for the rigor of college coursework.

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Christian Worldview Integration: GCU integrates a Christian worldview into its courses, encouraging students to deepen their faith and use their knowledge to better humanity.
Early College Acceptance: Dual enrollment students at GCU benefit from early acceptance into the university.
Access to Resources: Dual enrollment students have access to various academic resources, including the library and GCU Lounge for tutoring services.

Eligibility Requirements

GCU dual enrollment courses are available to:

High school freshmen and sophomores with an unweighted GPA of 3.25 or above.
High school juniors and seniors with an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or above.

All students are subject to GCU course prerequisites and policies, which may include online placement tests. It is important to keep your GPA, school, and current year up to date in your profile to ensure eligibility.

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Course Formats and Options

GCU offers dual enrollment courses in various formats to accommodate different schedules and learning preferences:

On-Campus: Students can attend lectures and labs in person on GCU's main campus in Phoenix, experiencing student life firsthand. These courses may be available during traditional semesters, with a course length of 7 or 15 weeks.
Online: GCU's learning management system, Halo, provides interactive forums that allow online dual enrollment students to network, interact, and collaborate with their peers and professors while completing projects and assignments. The course length varies for online courses.
At Participating High Schools: Students who attend participating Arizona high schools can take a variety of dual enrollment courses in high school.
Custom Cohorts: High schools and homeschool co-ops can create a custom 15-week online cohort modality program, allowing students to get familiar with the academic rigor of college coursework while still in the comfort of semester-based classes. Students can work directly with GCU’s dual enrollment team to create a custom cohort program based on their desired courses, start dates, and any school-specific breaks needed during the course (for example, spring break or a mission trip).

Dual Enrollment Courses

GCU offers a diverse range of dual enrollment courses, providing students with opportunities to explore various subjects and earn college credit. Students can explore a detailed list of courses offered through GCU’s program online and on GCU’s campus in Phoenix. These degree pathways include essential prerequisites common to most undergraduate program tracks. Students who take dual enrollment courses can expedite their access to core content, potentially saving valuable time and resources, all while enjoying a personalized educational experience.

Application and Registration Process

The complete registration process for GCU’s dual enrollment program typically takes 10 days. Here are the steps to complete the process:

Complete the Online Application: This fully online application is free and takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Complete the Parent Authorization Form (PAF): This form certifies that your parent or guardian has given you permission to enroll as a GCU dual enrollment student. This form must be completed by you and your parent/guardian by hand; any mistakes you make must have a line through them and be initialed for GCU to accept.
Review Official Transcripts: Your official high school transcripts are used to verify your GPA and your grade level. Sophomores must have at least 3.25 unweighted GPA; Juniors and Seniors must have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA. Transcripts must be official, which typically means they are signed by your high school counselor. These need to be submitted directly to GCU by a school/district representative and GCU can accept paper or electronic copies.
Complete the Student Information Release Form (SIRF): If you would like your parent/guardian to be able to access your files, you need to fill out the Student Information Release form. Without this form, GCU cannot disclose any information to your family even if you are a minor, per the federal laws set forth by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This is not required but is strongly recommended. All mistakes must have a line through them and must be initialed.
Take a Placement Exam: You will need to take a placement exam if you are interested in enrolling in either a math and/or English course for the first time at GCU. You have two attempts to successfully pass a placement exam, as well as unlimited practice exams. This can be done immediately after completing the online application or through your student portal through the app for "Placement Exams." For the math placement exam, you will be prompted with an initial question before the exam begins that you should answer "Yes" to.

Guided by a university counselor who specializes in dual enrollment, you can create an individualized pathway toward your intended area of study. You must contact your counselor directly to complete the registration process. Each student will be assigned an individual counselor once they have completed an online application. Your individual counselor's name and information are located on your student portal homepage.

Costs and Fees

Tuition for GCU's dual enrollment courses is $52.50 per credit. Since courses are 4 credits, each course costs $210. Online students must also pay an eBook fee of $85 plus tax per course. Additional textbook fees may also apply to online students only. You may take up to 32 credits (eight courses) at a reduced tuition rate.

Read also: Financial Aid at GCU

Refund and Withdrawal Policy

Once a student posts in a class, they become academically and financially responsible for the course. Students who withdraw during the first week may earn 75% of their tuition back; however, after the first week, 0% of tuition will be refunded. Book fees will never be refunded once a student posts. In addition, once a student enters the final two weeks of their class, they cannot drop the course and will earn an A-F grade for the course rather than a "W" for withdrawn.

Faculty and Instruction

Dual enrollment program instructors deliver content that incorporates best practices in teaching, technology, classroom engagement, ethics, and more. GCU and our instructors collaborate to provide academic support and monitor course effectiveness for all high school and homeschooled students. Dual enrollment faculty are college faculty. All instructors are required to have a master’s degree or higher in the content area, or a master’s degree with 18 graduate hours (500+) in the content area. Faculty qualifications for each course are set and approved by the GCU colleges, and instructors receive ongoing training, support, and professional development.

Additional Opportunities

GCU is a partner school of the Canyon Christian Schools Consortium. This partnership allows qualified high school students (juniors and seniors meeting certain academic standards) to take online, college-level classes through Grand Canyon University’s Dual Enrollment Program.

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