Dual Credit Frequently Asked Questions


Yes, Dual Credit students can register for college courses offered online. Online courses are the same courses taught face to face. They have the same expectations and cover the same material. In fact, some students find them harder because of the amount of reading required. A strong reading background is necessary to be successful—along with reliable, reasonably up-to-date computer equipment and a good Internet connection.

Some students believe that online courses are self-paced. They want to work at their own speed and log in whenever they want. In this case, they’re mostly wrong. Students can log in to an online course at any time, but the classes are usually not self-paced. They have deadlines and will require at least as much time as a face-to-face class—possibly more. Student participation is monitored, and it is possible to be dropped from an Internet course for non-participation.

Another popular belief is that anyone can take an online class.

Maybe, but that doesn’t mean everyone should. Someone with no computer or Internet access will have a tough time with an online course. Students without basic computer skills will also struggle. Students should address these issues if they want to enroll in an Internet class.

After you have been registered for a course, you may choose to get a Temple College ID card. Temple College is not currently issuing parking permits, nor is a permit required to park in a student parking area. If you would like a student ID, go the One College Centre and look for the Admissions & Records Office to have your picture taken. An ID card is required to use the library, attend a play or sports event, or visit a tutoring center on campus.

Textbooks are important for success in a college course. Books can be purchased at the Temple College Bookstore, located in the Arnold Student Union, or purchased online through the bookstore website. To ensure you get the correct books, please have your course name, number and section number. 

TC Bookstore

The attendance policy can be found in the Temple College student handbook. You can have up to four unexcused absences in a standard 16-week course before being administratively withdrawn from a class. Inform your instructors when you are expecting to miss a class. UIL events or other school-sponsored events are excused when reported at least a week prior to the absence, but don’t forget that it is the student’s responsibility to arrange make-up sessions!

What if it’s a true emergency, and you simply can’t do any of these things? No one expects you to call the professor from the back of an ambulance. Contact the professor as soon as you can—but don’t just disappear. If the professor doesn’t hear from you after several absences, he/she may assume that you don’t intend to complete the semester. Remember that in college there is no front office that will keep school personnel up to date on your situation.

If at some point you need to withdraw from a course, don’t just stop attending. There is a process to follow. Contact the professor and your high school counselor. Complete a Temple College Drop form. Submit that form to your counselor or Temple College directly.

Please consult with your high school counselor prior to submitting paperwork. In general, students will need to:

  • Step 1. Fill out a Temple College application
  • Step 2. Submit a current high school transcript
  • Step 3. Submit a shot record showing the bacterial meningitis vaccination current within 5 years or a waiver for medical or religious reasons
  • Step 4. Submit test scores that meet the state’s TSI requirements.

Classes must be requested using the Dual Credit Registration Form, and must contain all signatures (parent, student, and counselor) to be valid.

College classes taken prior to high school graduation for dual credit are protected by dual credit legislation, so students may apply as freshmen and are eligible for all freshman-level scholarships. The number of dual credit hours attempted does not impact this. Students with 6 college credit hours are viewed the same as students with more than 60 college credit hours as long as these credits were earned prior to high school graduation and for dual credit purposes. As a result, dual credit learners are not required to apply as transfer students, are eligible to apply for the same scholarships as a traditional high school student, and are not affected by the TEC Excessive Hours rule which requires a higher tuition rate for students who have earned more than 30 hours outside of their degree plan as long as hours are taken prior to high school graduation.

It depends. Each opportunity has different pros and cons – it is your job to evaluate them and determine which opportunity is best for your situation. In AP and IB classes, college credit is usually earned after one high-stakes test taken at the very end of the course. Dual Credit courses typically earn credit throughout the course, depending on the instructor. Credit for all three opportunities may or may not be awarded by your receiving institution depending on their policies, although Dual Credit does have a core curriculum in-state transfer guarantee between public institutions. Dual Credit courses are taught by college instructors, either on the high school campus, at the Temple College campus or online, which allows students to acclimate to the real college experience. AP and IB classes are taught by high school instructors at the high school, which can reduce travel costs/time. Dual Credit courses charge regular college tuition with a dual credit discount and require college textbooks, so they are typically more expensive than AP and IB courses. Finally, ISDs set their grade weighting system individually, so some high schools may not weight Dual Credit classes as heavily as AP and IB, which can affect your class rank.

At Temple College, we believe that Dual Credit can be an important experience for a student to help ease the transition from high school to college and, when used correctly, speed time to graduation. Students will learn important college skills, such as increased responsibility in the classroom, how to interact with a college professor, and how the college system works. Studies show that students who take Dual Credit are more likely to persist in education and graduate from college sooner than students who did not complete Dual Credit.