Dual enrollment is an opportunity for current Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) high school students to get a head start on college courses. Student Roman Kaminski informs interested students of the program’s benefits.

For many years, BCPS has allowed high school students to take college-level courses at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) through the Early College Access Program (ECAP). The program grants students the ability to take prerequisite CCBC courses at no cost while still enrolled in high school.

This not only gives students a head-start on their college career but also gives a glimpse of what college classes feel like. Dual enrollment with CCBC prepares students for their college experience before entering their freshmen year.

Dual enrollment can also be seen as an alternative to Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are high-level high school classes that count toward college credit. Many AP courses can be overwhelming and stress-inducing. Many CCBC courses can be taken online with one to two classes a week, or even asynchronously.

Dulaney High School (DHS) senior Kaminski took health at CCBC this past semester and previously took other courses through ECAP.

“Taking health class there was extremely beneficial for me as a senior. My class was self-paced, and the professor was always available to help…it was really helpful when balancing my busy schedule,” said Kaminski.

As many high school students begin preparing for college, thinking about all of the course requirements can be alarming. Through BCPS’s Dual Enrollment program, students can have the advantage of earning college credit early.