Early Admission and Dual Enrollment 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 early college programs offered at Polk State College, and all Polk County students must abide by them. Students must also complete the High School Approval Form. Visit the Dual Enrollment web page of the College website for complete details.

Students may also contact the Dual Enrollment Coordinator on the Winter Haven Campus at 863-292-3758, the Dual Enrollment Coordinator on the Lakeland Campus at 863-669-2822, or e-mail: dualenrollment@polk.edu.  Information is available from high 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 high school students through two early college programs: Full-Time Early Admission and Dual Enrollment. Both are often referred to as dual enrollment. Tuition and fees for approved dual enrollment courses are waived by the College. Textbooks are provided to public school students by the Polk County School Board. Students attending private schools or those who are home schooled are responsible for their own textbooks and supplies. 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. Students are required to maintain a 2.0 college GPA and a 3.0 unweighted high school GPA to remain eligible for dual enrollment.

If a student withdraws from a course after the Drop period is over (see Academic Calendar for 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 approved, the expense is the responsibility of the student. Students are advised that multiple attempts may adversely affect their future academic opportunities, admission status at their 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. Polk State College reserves the right to make changes as necessary to address any changes in legislation and/or to meet College needs. The most updated information and details are available on the Dual Enrollment web page of the polk.edu website.