I have two teenage daughters in Roanoke City Public Schools, and soon we’ll be gearing up for the college search. I know as a parent that when we see opportunities to better our children’s education, we feel we should take them. That’s why we’re seeing an increase in high schoolers enrolling in AP and dual enrollment courses, and sometimes even obtaining associate degrees — all before stepping foot into college. But then they arrive, only to find that their college won’t honor many of those hard-earned credits because of “applicability” requirements. Now what does that mean? I chair the Education Committee in Virginia’s State House, and it’s still confusing to me.
The explanation is, higher education institutions get to decide whether dual enrollment (DE) classes taken will count towards a specific degree, and how they will count. These requirements are sometimes narrow, confusing and frustrating. For many students, their DE classes are treated as worthless if they don’t fit neatly into their eventual major. For example, a student who takes a community college accounting class may not see that class count towards their four-year accounting degree, as colleges often count these courses as simple electives.
That’s “applicability,” and it’s increasing student debt.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, over 51,000 students were enrolled in DE courses at Virginia community colleges alone. It’s a growing trend. Our high schoolers need to know what meets applicability prior to enrollment. Families shouldn’t have to find out after tuition’s been paid. Scholars and advocacy organizations contend that meaningful DE credit requires deliberate alignment and integration of policies across secondary and postsecondary institutions. Our students’ DE classes shouldn’t be treated as random. If there’s an opportunity to save families money and frustration, we should take it.
Beyond addressing the challenges of its implementation, it’s also important to support DE for its economic benefits. We have made some progress in Virginia with the Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS), which essentially covers one year of community college classes while in high school. Now, by improving applicability requirements, we can go further. If a high school student can arrive at college with an associate degree, they’re shaving off two years of tuition, and therefore two years of potential long-term student debt.
That’s why I’ve sponsored legislation that would give public high school students the opportunity to earn a transferable meta-major associate degree, enabling them to ultimately reduce their college debt and their frustration. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia defines “meta-major,” also known as a “career cluster,” as a broad field of study that encompasses programs that share common foundational coursework and career goals. Yes, meta-majors are still a relatively new concept. However, both VCU and UVa have already created subject-matter transfer guides that reflect the meta-major framework.
Here’s the bottom line: dual enrollment classes shouldn’t be treated as random, and they shouldn’t go to waste, especially if they can help reduce student debt. Expanding options and tearing down economic barriers help our most vulnerable students succeed. Our families shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of complicated requirements in order to make their classes count. I’m dedicated to tackling this issue because Virginians deserve better.
Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, chairs the House Education Committee.