Dual Enrollment
High School students can take college-level courses through RCC with the Dual Enrollment program.
Rappahannock Community College has dual enrollment agreements with local public school systems to offer college-level courses that can be taken at the high school. Dual enrollment programs are voluntary and enable students to take community college courses while enrolled in high school and provides college level educational opportunities not otherwise available. Dual enrollment courses allow qualified high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college courses during the school day where they receive both college and high school credit prior to high school graduation. Freshmen and sophomores can enroll with special approval from RCC’s administration. Students who have taken dual enrollment classes previously do not need to re-apply for admission.
Students should follow the Steps for Dual Enrollment.
What are the benefits?
According to the Community College Research Center DE students have a higher likelihood of:
- Graduating from high school
- Enrolling in college after high school graduation
- Pursuing a baccalaureate degree
- Persisting to completion
Transferability: Dual enrollment courses are offered as a pathway into college or careers. Some classes are designed to transfer to a four-year school, fulfilling freshman or lower division course requirements. Other dual enrollment courses are not intended to transfer, but are requirements of a career/occupational certificate or applied science degrees offered at the community college. Four-year colleges ultimately make the determination of what will transfer into their school and how it will transfer into the student’s degree program of choice.
If you’re a Dual Enrollment student and you are interested in completing a certificate or degree while in high school, contact the Dual Enrollment Advisor. You can follow the course requirements as outlined in the Degrees and Certificates of the College Catalog.
Dual Enrollment Team
DE Success Story: Jordyn Robins-Williams
Before officially graduating from high school, Jordyn Rollins-Williams had earned an Associate degree and STEM at Work Career Studies Certificate through Rappahannock Community College (RCC). As a student in the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School, Rollins-Williams’ was taking classes and earning college credits so she decided to take a few extra classes to complete an Associate degree.
It wasn’t always easy, however, and she admits having some trouble balancing her time. “Between my high school classes, work, extracurricular activities, and the extra classes I was taking at RCC, my schedule was full,” says Rollins-Williams. “It was easier once I got a little bit more organized and used to the schedule.”
“Hutt Williams, [RCC’s Coordinator of Dual Enrollment], was always there when I needed help with classes or even when I just needed to think out loud about my next steps,” Rollins-Williams says. “He gave great advice and helped me realize that what I wanted to achieve was possible, but I didn’t have to do it all at one time, and I certainly was not alone.”
Dr. Gena McKinley, English faculty, taught Rollins-Williams’ last class. “I hit a rough patch during her class, and she was gracious, understanding, and very kind as we handled the situation. She worked with me. Everyone was always so helpful and cheering me on.”
She says that transferring her RCC credits was simple and straightforward. “With a couple of clicks and a phone call, William and Mary had my transcript and my credits were posted. I got a lot of my prerequisites out of the way and will be two years ahead of other members of my class!”
This summer Rollins-Williams interned for the Town of Colonial Beach’s Town Manager. She says her responsibilities were similar to an administrative assistant position but she also did some content creation. “The public works intern and I were tasked with creating a presentation on rain gardens. We are both science majors and we had to present it in front of the Town Council and residents.” She also is interested in photography and design and created Facebook posts for the police department.
At the end of the internship, “I was able to go out with a research team from Old Dominion University (ODU) that was collecting depth data on the beach. That was really fun! The internship overall has given me lots of opportunities to explore new things, but also do things that I enjoy and am passionate about.” Rollins-Williams plans to study environmental science and policy while at William and Mary and is thinking about double majoring in biology or looking further into pre-law for a career in environmental law.
“There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by going to RCC. There are so many classes to choose from for you to explore your interests and earn credits at the same time. If you want to go to a 4-year college or university after, RCC gives you a great foundation to build off of,” she says. “RCC gives community members the opportunity to grow academically at an affordable price. It also puts more college graduates into the workforce which can be useful in the local community.”
