If your student wants to be more prepared for college, or you’re interested in saving money on the total cost of higher education, you may have considered dual enrollment.
Dual enrollment has many benefits, and it’s no surprise that students from all homeschooling backgrounds take at least one or two courses at some time in their high school careers.
However, there’s a lot of conflicting information online about which dual enrollment course provider is best, and sorting through them can be confusing. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of the top 7 options available today to help you decide the right option for your homeschool values and goals.
1. Mid-America Christian University powered by TEL Education
Cost: $75 per credit hour
When your homeschool student needs a completely self-paced option with assured college credits for completion of each course, TEL education is the choice to beat. Our non-profit organization has partnered with Mid-America Christian University (MACU) to provide affordable online courses that can be completed day or night and include all materials needed to learn. Unlike other dual enrollment options, TEL courses are regionally accredited, so there’s no guessing if they will count. Students pick the course they want, complete it at their own pace within six months, and get guaranteed credit at MACU, which can be used toward a MACU degree or transferred almost anywhere!
And while TEL doesn’t use a subscription model, this means your student has a more authentic college experience. They must learn time management to complete the course in a standard college term (six months), giving them a taste of what it’s like to follow a schedule, even as they do the coursework on the days that work best for them. The one-time pricing model also guarantees you know what it will cost ahead of time and can budget for it accordingly.
Pros:
- No subscription model; pay once for each course
- Regionally-accredited
- Truly self-paced
- Four-year college credits
- Responsive, caring customer service team
- No entrance exam required
Cons:
- Have just six months to complete each course
2. Community College
Cost: varies
It’s very common for homeschooled students to take a course or two from their local community college. Options typically include online or in-person courses, which may or may not be partially subsidized by their state. While this may be a cheaper option to get college credits, it’s almost never truly self-paced. The student is usually expected to complete coursework at a pace set by the instructor. So, if your family travels for a week or has a sporting tournament, your homeschool student must still find the time to complete coursework on schedule.
Community colleges have a high transferability rate, especially if students want to transfer credits to in-state colleges with existing transfer agreements. In the end, the courses will show up as taken at a community college, something families should consider if they want all four years of college to take place at a public or private four-year institution.
Pros:
- Very affordable, sometimes free
- Wide range of courses available
- Popular among homeschool communities
Cons:
- Often inflexible schedule
- Transferability varies
- May have to interact with unknown adult learners
- Often requires an entrance exam
3. UExcel exams
Cost: Varies based on exam
While no longer being offered by Excelsior, these exams were a top choice for homeschoolers at one time. Students could study on their own, take the UExcel test, and get college credit for passing. Excelsior retired the testing program in 2022 and has no immediate plans to reopen the program.
Cons:
- No longer available (program retired)
- Exam and basic tutoring only (no lessons or textbooks)
- Students must learn on their own
- Exams cost almost as much as some course options
Pros:
- Access to upper-level coursework (300-400 courses)
- Regionally accredited
4. ALEKS
Cost: $19.95/month for a single course
ALEKS offers a software-based course platform where students can receive college credit through the American Council on Education (ACE). It doesn’t work quite like a one-time exam, as students progress through the course material, which adapts to create a unique learning path. Students will be prompted to test what they know when they complete 70% of the material. Students have 3 hours to complete the exam, and if they earn at least 70%, they get a badge from Credly, a credentialing service. Then, students must request that an official transcript be sent to the college they wish to attend.
Unlike other courses, students can retest as needed until they get the 70%. The courses are only available for math subjects, and credits will only be issued if the school the student wants to transfer to accepts ACE credits. Students have 12 months from the time they take the initial Knowledge Check (which is similar to an entrance exam) to complete the coursework and test.
Pros:
- Somewhat flexible and individualized learning paths
- Students can retake the exams as needed
- One subscription price for all courses
Cons:
- Retake options don’t mirror the authentic college experience
- Only available for math courses
- Not associated with an accredited college
- Not all colleges accept ACE credits
5. Sophia
Cost: $99 per month
Another ACE accredited course provider, Sophia charges students a subscription fee of $99 a month with discounts for multiple month terms. Students can then access any of the Sophia courses and complete them on their own schedule. The self-paced courses include business ethics, science, career development, and language options, and all require a 70% pass rate to get the ACE credit.
Sophia has an agreement with around 60 partner colleges that have agreed to accept the ACE credits earned through the platform. However, other schools will have their own policies and may or may not accept them.
Pros:
- Completely self-paced courses
- Start and finish anytime
- One subscription price for all courses
Cons:
- Not associated with an accredited college
- Not all colleges accept ACE credits
- Recurring subscription fees may end up costing more per course over time
6. Study.com
Cost: $235 a month
Study.com offers over 200 courses through its College Saver program. Each course, when completed successfully, can be transferred to participating schools through the American Council on Education (ACE) and/or the National Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). Membership costs $235 a month and includes access to unlimited courses. Students can earn credit for up to 5 courses per month but can only sit for 2 exams a month for the monthly fee. Up to 3 additional exams per month can be purchased for $70 each.
Students have to earn a 70% on each course to pass and get credit but can test out of material they already know.
Pros:
- Completely self-paced courses
- Start and finish anytime
Cons:
- Not associated with an accredited college
- Not all colleges accept ACE credits
- Recurring subscription fees may end up costing more per course over time
- More than 3 exams a month cost extra
- Testing out option doesn’t mirror the college experience
7. StraighterLine
Cost: $99 per month membership plus $79-99 per course fee
One more ACE accredited course provider on our list is StraighterLine, which gives students access to over 75 online, self-paced courses. Once a course is successfully complete, the credit can be transferred according to ACE standards to one of its 150+ partner colleges. Other colleges may accept the credit, but individual college policies vary.
StraighterLine charges both a monthly $99 subscription fee to get access to its courses and an additional one-time $79-99 per course fee. Students can complete courses in as little as 28 days, but the average completion time is 4-6 weeks.
Pros:
- Completely self-paced courses
- Start and finish anytime
- Over 75 courses to choose from
Cons:
- Not associated with an accredited college
- Not all colleges accept ACE credits
- Monthly subscription fee plus course fees can add up over time
Which Dual Enrollment option is best for homeschooled students?
The answer to this question is: it depends. If you want to quickly accumulate ACE credits to transfer to a partner college, options like StraighterLine, Study.com, or Sophia may work. These self-paced course providers specialize in offering a lot of courses for a variety of learning styles and schedules, even if they aren’t offered by a particular college or university.
However, if your goal is to get an online college experience with credits from a regionally accredited college right away, a course from Mid-America Christian University powered by TEL Education may be better. These courses are also self-paced and very affordable, but they don’t require a subscription. Students complete them within a semester’s timeframe. When students finish, they get an official college transcript that they can take with them to the college of their choice. Courses with MACU are viewed as actual college credits – because they are!
For homeschooled students who want to have an authentic dual enrollment experience, MACU powered by TEL makes a lot of sense. Choose from courses like Latin, Music Appreciation, Chemistry, and more!
Enrollment is open year-round. Sign up and complete the course during the hours that work best for your homeschool schedule.
