Dual Credit: High school student enrolls in a college course and receives simultaneous academic credit for the course from both the college and the high school. 

DC classes are taken through a local college. These classes are taken at your high school during the school day with either a teacher that is certified or a professor sent by the college. 

Ex: Lovejoy ISD and Wylie ISD use Collin College and Garland ISD uses Dallas College.

AP: College-level coursework taken in high school. Colleges award college credit to students who successfully complete the course and pass the corresponding AP exams.

 AP classes are taken through a rigorous curriculum with specially trained teachers.  

CLEP:  A flexible college credit option and a great way for more students to get a head start on college. 

 CLEP exams are an excellent option for students if your school doesn’t offer an AP® course in a corresponding CLEP exam subject, you're looking for more opportunities to earn college credit, and/or you want to reduce the cost of college. 

• CLEP offers 34 exam subjects, including Spanish, college composition, college mathematics, and more.

• CLEP has no class requirements or set testing dates and is available year-round at more than 2,000 CLEP test centers nationwide and via remote proctoring.

• Students can prepare using free/affordable online study resources and from knowledge gained through advanced/honors coursework.

P-TECH: A program that allows students to earn college credit towards a specific degree while getting their high school diploma. Students can earn up to 60 free college hours and potentially an associate’s degree. TEA information.

These classes work the same as DC classes.

ECHS: A open-enrollment high school that allows students least likely to attend college an opportunity to receive both a high school diploma and either an associate degree or at least 60 credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree. 

These classes also work the same as DC classes.