Effective April 1, 1996, Public Act 160 created the Post secondary Enrollment Options Act, commonly referred to as dual enrollment. This law directs school districts to assist students in paying tuition and fees for courses at Michigan public or private colleges or universities, if all of the following conditions are met:

1.       Students are in grade 11 or grade 12.

2.       Students can qualify for dual enrollment by taking one of the following assessments: PSAT, ACTPLAN, ACT, or MME. The following table shows the complete list of scores that qualify students for dual enrollment:

Additionally, according to P.A. 160, eligible students may take courses for which there are no endorsements, such as computer science, foreign language, history, political science, or psychology, as long as they have taken all sections of the MME, ACTPLAN, ACT or College Board PSAT. State endorsement is not required in any specific area for this participation.

3.       Students must be enrolled in both the school district and postsecondary institution during the local school district’s regular academic year and must be enrolled in at least one high school class.

4.       The district must not offer the college courses. An exception to this could occur if the local board of education determines that a scheduling conflict exists, which is beyond the student’s control.

5.       The college courses cannot be a hobby, craft, or recreation course, or in the subject areas of physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education.

6.       School districts are required to pay the lesser of:

a.       The actual charge for tuition, mandatory course fees, materials fees and registration fees; or

b.      that state portion of the students’ foundation allowance, adjusted to the proportion of the school year they attend the post secondary institution.

For more information about dual enrollment contact the school office or visit the state website at http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_40085---,00.html.