Mar 19, 2024  
Catalog/Handbook 2019-2020 
    
Catalog/Handbook 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Dual Enrollment and Early Admission Programs


Polk State College provides accelerated opportunities to academically talented students from all Polk County public secondary schools and many area private high schools. Home schooled students are also eligible to participate. The application process begins online at polk.edu. Private school and home schooled students must read the Dual Enrollment Articulation Agreement and agree to its terms and conditions. This document defines the qualifications, rules, and regulations regarding the dual-enrollment programs offered at Polk State College, and all Polk County students must abide by them. Polk County School students must use the Polk County School Board’s portal called DELTA to gain approval for class registration. Private and home schooled students must complete the High School Approval Form. The Dual-Enrollment web page of the College website provides more complete details.

Students may also contact the Dual-Enrollment Coordinator on the Winter Haven Campus or the Dual-Enrollment Coordinator on the Lakeland Campus at 863.297.1000, or email: dualenrollment@polk.edu. Information is available from school guidance offices and the advising areas on each Polk State College campus, or information may be downloaded from the website at www.polk.edu.

Acceleration is available to students through three early college programs: The Accelerated Program, Full-Time Early Admission, and Dual Enrollment. All of these options are commonly referred to as dual-enrollment. Tuition and fees for approved dual-enrollment courses are waived by the College for home schooled students. Private schools pay for the tuition of students who participate in dual enrollment. 

Textbooks are provided to public school students by the Polk County School Board. Students attending private schools must follow the textbook policy of the specific private school. Those who are home-schooled may have their textbooks and supplies paid for by the College.  The following is the Home-Schooled Student Textbook Policy for eligible students:

 

  1. Course materials must be obtained from the Polk State College Bookstore on the campus on which the student is taking classes.
  2. Course materials are available between the Financial Aid Bookstore Purchase Dates as specified on the Polk State College Academic Calendar. Academic Calendars are available online at: https://www.polk.edu/academics/academic-calendars/.
  3. A student may obtain course materials on the business day following the day of enrollment for the course requiring supplies.
  4. The student must bring a printed copy of the course schedule to the Bookstore in order to receive course materials.
  5. The student is required to provide photo identification as well a valid e-mail address in order to receive communication from the College Bookstore. Each student should monitor the e-mail address provided to the Bookstore throughout the semester for communication regarding return dates.
  6. Course materials must be returned to the College Bookstore by the specified date. A student who fails to return course materials is subject to financial hold on the account. Additionally, registration is canceled for any courses in the upcoming term, and the individual is barred from further registration until the obligation is satisfied.

 

Dual-enrollment courses may be taken in a variety of ways: on a Polk State College campus, at a high school in a class taught by a Polk State College-approved instructor, or via the Internet through Polk State College’s distance learning delivery method. Courses may be taken as part of a student’s regular high school curriculum or in addition to the high school load. A student is required to maintain a specific GPA in secondary school and college to stay in the program. These details are found in the Dual Enrollment Agreement effective for the academic year as published on the Dual Enrollment webpage.

If a student withdraws from a course after the Drop Period is over (the Academic Calendar provides these dates), he or she receives a grade of W on the college transcript; this counts as the student’s first attempt in a course. A student may attempt a course two times as a dual-enrollment student; the third attempt and any subsequent attempts may not take place until the student graduates from high school. The third attempt will be charged at the full cost of instruction, which is approximately the out-of-state tuition rate. If the third attempt is approved, the expense is the responsibility of the student. Each student is advised that multiple attempts may adversely affect future academic opportunities, admission status at the intended college or university, financial aid eligibility, and the cost of tuition. The information above reflects the rules and regulations in effect at the time of publication for this document. Polk State College reserves the right to make modifications in this policy as necessary to address any changes in legislation and/or to meet the needs of the College. The most updated information and details are available on the Dual Enrollment webpage of the polk.edu website.