FAQs for DE
Q: Are DE students still considered students at their high school?
A: Yes, all DE students (both part-time and full-time) are still considered students enrolled at their high school. They also have all rights and privileges - including participating in all sports, clubs, events, etc. - as traditionally-enrolled high school students do.
Q: What is the cost of taking college courses at the college vs. at Milton?
A: The new DE regulations waive all tuition costs and almost all fees for college courses (up to 15 hours). Students are only required to pay course-related fees – for example, fees for a Science lab. The new regulations also provide free textbooks to DE students.
Q: How many classes are required to be full-time DE?
A: Students must take 12 credit hours (typically 4 classes, each at least 3 credit hours) at the college in order to be classified as full-time DE. If a student only has 11 hours with four classes, they are required to take two additional high school classes. DE Funding will cover tuition for up to 15 hours.
Q: What college courses can a student take?
A: Students may take degree and non-degree level courses in core, career, technical, agricultural, and elective subjects up to 15 hours per semester. The list of approved courses for each college is here: https://apps.gsfc.org/SecureNextGen/dsp_accel_course_listings.cfm. Students wanting to take a Math course higher than College Algebra or a World Language course above introductory level must schedule placement tests through the appropriate department at the college. Colleges may be able to use AP exam scores for course placement as well.
Q: Can students take a course at the college level that they’ve already taken at the high school level and earn core credit?
A: No. If a student takes an introductory-level college course and has already taken the same course at the high school level, the college course can only count for elective credit. This situation typically only occurs within the Sciences. For example – if a student took Chemistry in high school for their 3rd or 4th Science credit, that student cannot take College Chemistry I for another core Science credit. If that student wants to take a College Science course to earn their 3rd or 4th Science credit, they would need to take a different Science course. Also, if a student has taken an AP version of the course (ex. AP Psychology), they could not take the same course at the college level (PSYC 1101). They could take a higher level of the course (ex PSYC 4130), however students would need to send their AP scores to the college to meet the required pre-requisites.
Q: How many Carnegie units (high school credits) does each college course earn?
A: College courses that are 1 to 2 credit semester hours earn 0.5 Carnegie units. College courses that are 3 to 5 credit semester hours earn 1.0 Carnegie unit. Thus, if a student takes a 3 hour College US History course, that gives them credit for the full year and 1.0 credit of high school US History.
Q: How do college grades transfer to the student’s high school transcript?
A: College grades transfer as A = 95, B = 85, C = 75, D = 70 (D’s are passing at the college level, so they’re given our lowest passing grade), and F = 60. If a student takes a college course that is 3 hours or more, they will earn 1.0 Carnegie unit which is the equivalent of 2 high school semester grades earning 0.5 Carnegie unit. If a student withdraws from a course and receives a W from the college AND does not replace the course with something at the high school, a W will appear on the student's high school transcript.
Q: Do DE students have to take EOC’s?
A: Only DE students taking Biology to satisfy their high school Biology graduation requirement have to take the EOC.
Q: Will students need to request their college transcripts be sent to their high school for their college grades to be entered on their high school transcripts?
A: Typically counselors receive the transcripts, however, if it is not sent by the college then the student is responsible for bringing a copy of their official transcript to the high school.
Q: How does DE affect students’ future HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship?
A: College courses taken through DE do not count toward a student’s HOPE/Zell Miller hourly caps at the college level. Grades earned through DE do not count toward a student’s HOPE/Zell Miller maintenance GPA that must be maintained at specific checkpoints while in college. However, grades earned through DE are reported on a student’s high school transcript, so they do count toward a student’s initial HOPE/Zell Miller GPA (i.e. a student’s final high school GPA that may qualify them for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship as they enter college).
Q: Will DE grades transfer to a student’s future college?
A: DE grades earned at a University System of GA (USG) school are guaranteed to transfer to any other USG school. Most public schools outside of GA will accept transfer grades from USG schools as well. Some DE grades earned at a Technical College System of GA School will transfer to USG schools - see attached chart. However, students should always check with their future colleges to confirm their DE courses will transfer. Colleges will typically have transfer tables available on their websites for students to confirm transferability. You can also use the also use the GATRACS Transfer Student Planner to check to see how courses will transfer to your future college.
Q: How do students send their DE grades/credits to their future college?
A: Students must request their transcript from the college through which they’re participating in DE to be sent to their future college for their grades and credits to transfer. Their future college will not transfer their grades and credits solely from their high school transcript. High schools are unable to to send college transcripts to a student's future college.
Q: Are DE students still considered students at their high school?
A: Yes, all DE students (both part-time and full-time) are still considered students enrolled at their high school. They also have all rights and privileges - including participating in all sports, clubs, events, etc. - as traditionally-enrolled high school students do.
Q: What is the cost of taking college courses at the college vs. at Milton?
A: The new DE regulations waive all tuition costs and almost all fees for college courses (up to 15 hours). Students are only required to pay course-related fees – for example, fees for a Science lab. The new regulations also provide free textbooks to DE students.
Q: How many classes are required to be full-time DE?
A: Students must take 12 credit hours (typically 4 classes, each at least 3 credit hours) at the college in order to be classified as full-time DE. If a student only has 11 hours with four classes, they are required to take two additional high school classes. DE Funding will cover tuition for up to 15 hours.
Q: What college courses can a student take?
A: Students may take degree and non-degree level courses in core, career, technical, agricultural, and elective subjects up to 15 hours per semester. The list of approved courses for each college is here: https://apps.gsfc.org/SecureNextGen/dsp_accel_course_listings.cfm. Students wanting to take a Math course higher than College Algebra or a World Language course above introductory level must schedule placement tests through the appropriate department at the college. Colleges may be able to use AP exam scores for course placement as well.
Q: Can students take a course at the college level that they’ve already taken at the high school level and earn core credit?
A: No. If a student takes an introductory-level college course and has already taken the same course at the high school level, the college course can only count for elective credit. This situation typically only occurs within the Sciences. For example – if a student took Chemistry in high school for their 3rd or 4th Science credit, that student cannot take College Chemistry I for another core Science credit. If that student wants to take a College Science course to earn their 3rd or 4th Science credit, they would need to take a different Science course. Also, if a student has taken an AP version of the course (ex. AP Psychology), they could not take the same course at the college level (PSYC 1101). They could take a higher level of the course (ex PSYC 4130), however students would need to send their AP scores to the college to meet the required pre-requisites.
Q: How many Carnegie units (high school credits) does each college course earn?
A: College courses that are 1 to 2 credit semester hours earn 0.5 Carnegie units. College courses that are 3 to 5 credit semester hours earn 1.0 Carnegie unit. Thus, if a student takes a 3 hour College US History course, that gives them credit for the full year and 1.0 credit of high school US History.
Q: How do college grades transfer to the student’s high school transcript?
A: College grades transfer as A = 95, B = 85, C = 75, D = 70 (D’s are passing at the college level, so they’re given our lowest passing grade), and F = 60. If a student takes a college course that is 3 hours or more, they will earn 1.0 Carnegie unit which is the equivalent of 2 high school semester grades earning 0.5 Carnegie unit. If a student withdraws from a course and receives a W from the college AND does not replace the course with something at the high school, a W will appear on the student's high school transcript.
Q: Do DE students have to take EOC’s?
A: Only DE students taking Biology to satisfy their high school Biology graduation requirement have to take the EOC.
Q: Will students need to request their college transcripts be sent to their high school for their college grades to be entered on their high school transcripts?
A: Typically counselors receive the transcripts, however, if it is not sent by the college then the student is responsible for bringing a copy of their official transcript to the high school.
Q: How does DE affect students’ future HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship?
A: College courses taken through DE do not count toward a student’s HOPE/Zell Miller hourly caps at the college level. Grades earned through DE do not count toward a student’s HOPE/Zell Miller maintenance GPA that must be maintained at specific checkpoints while in college. However, grades earned through DE are reported on a student’s high school transcript, so they do count toward a student’s initial HOPE/Zell Miller GPA (i.e. a student’s final high school GPA that may qualify them for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship as they enter college).
Q: Will DE grades transfer to a student’s future college?
A: DE grades earned at a University System of GA (USG) school are guaranteed to transfer to any other USG school. Most public schools outside of GA will accept transfer grades from USG schools as well. Some DE grades earned at a Technical College System of GA School will transfer to USG schools - see attached chart. However, students should always check with their future colleges to confirm their DE courses will transfer. Colleges will typically have transfer tables available on their websites for students to confirm transferability. You can also use the also use the GATRACS Transfer Student Planner to check to see how courses will transfer to your future college.
Q: How do students send their DE grades/credits to their future college?
A: Students must request their transcript from the college through which they’re participating in DE to be sent to their future college for their grades and credits to transfer. Their future college will not transfer their grades and credits solely from their high school transcript. High schools are unable to to send college transcripts to a student's future college.
