Part III: Dual Enrollment HOPE Grant Participants – 2012-2013
Part III: HOPE Grant Participants TO BE DISCUSSED WITH THE STUDENT AND HIS / HER PARENTS / GUARDIANS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL OFFICAL
The HOPE Grant is a State of Georgia student financial aid program that provides non-repayable grant assistance to Georgia residents seeking technical Certificates or Diplomas from Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and University System of Georgia (USG) eligible postsecondary institutions. The HOPE Grant Program is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education and administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The HOPE Grant program is a non-need based grant program offered during the fall, winter, and spring terms of the school year.
Student participation in the dual enrollment program is a voluntary student choice. Because this choice exists for students, it is the responsibility of the student and the parent / guardian to be knowledgeable about the program and its positive and negative effects upon high school graduation. The remainder of this document will explain the Dual Enrollment HOPE Grant Program and its implications for students.
The school officials may discuss with the postsecondary institution the academic, emotional, social, and other characteristics of the student that should be considered in the decision to enroll the student.
******************************************************************
*Must be initialed by the school official (SO), the student (S), and the parent / guardian (P / G).
*
______ELIGIBILITY
SO S P/G
1. To be eligible for participation in the HOPE Grant Program, a student must:
a. Be a legal resident of Georgia
b. Be enrolled in an eligible college or university or public technical college as a dual credit student taking approved courses leading to a Certificate or Diploma, and maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the college
c. Maintain satisfactory academic progress towards fulfilling applicable high school graduation requirements as defined by the high school and satisfactory academic progress as defined by the post-secondary institution. A student whose post-secondary transcript indicates a failing grade will become ineligible for dual enrollment in the subsequent semester(s).
______COMPLETION OF HIGH SCHOOL COURSES
C S P/G
1. Dual enrolled students shall take courses from the list approved by the Georgia Department of Education, developed with input from the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. HOPE Grant course list:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us
A student must be enrolled in and pass post-secondary coursework equivalent to earn a minimum of six Carnegie units per school year with a minimum of three per semester. Exceptions will be handled on an individual basis. Full-time enrollment as defined by the high school may not equate to full-time enrollment as defined by the post-secondary institution.
______ ASSESSMENT
SO S P/G
1. The student is required to take the state assessments as defined by the Georgia Department of Education. The state assessments (Georgia High School Graduation Tests and State End-of-Course Tests) are based on the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS).
2. Students are required to pass all the Georgia High School Graduation Tests or State End-of-Course Tests in content areas in order to receive a high school diploma.
3. The courses taken by the student at a college / university/ technical college will contain some but not all of the concepts and topics taught in the high school. NOTE: High school courses by law must be based on the Georgia Performance Standards or Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. College courses and technical college courses do not have to meet this requirement; therefore, the student may experience some problem in passing the state assessment exam.
4. Students are responsible for making arrangements with both their high schools as well as their post-secondary institution to take the state assessment tests. This could pose a significant challenge for junior students since GHSGT are given during a one week testing window of spring semester.
5. When a student completes a dual enrollment post-secondary course as an equivalency to a high school required core course, and that high school course is one for which the state also requires completion of a state end-of-course test (SEOCT), the student will be required to take the required SEOCT in that subject. In accordance with Georgia law, the final course grade will be calculated based on the course grade weight of 80% and the SEOCT weight of 20%, and that final grade will be recorded on the high school transcript. The SEOCT score does not impact the course grade recorded on the college transcript since that grade reflects the completion of post-secondary coursework. High school equivalency courses in which SEOCTs are administered are as follows: Biology I, Physical Science, Economics, US History, Mathematics I & II, Ninth Grade Literature/Composition, and American Literature/Composition.
6. List below any assessments needed for completion of graduation requirements:
______
______EXPENSES
SO S P/G
1. Individual. The student or the student’s parent/guardian is responsible for all costs related to participation in dual enrollment courses that are not approved for funding through the Georgia Lottery for Education or FTE.
2. Eligible students seeking a technical Certificate or Diploma from a Technical College System of Georgia institution or University System of Georgia institution may receive HOPE Grant funds covering a portion of tuition, as appropriated through the Georgia General Assembly. Applications and information for the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Grant Program are located on the Georgia Student Finance Commission web site at www.gsfc.org.
3. HOPE Grant recipients are limited by the number of credit hours for which they can receive Hope Grant payment, referred to as the “Paid-Hours limit”. The Paid-Hours limit is 63 semester hours of HOPE Grant payment except for specific programs of study. Consult the postsecondary institution or Georgia Student Finance Commission for additional information.
4. Transportation and all other expenses, including tuition for non-approved courses if taken, are the responsibility of the student and parent.
5. Students are ineligible for payment through Hope Grant and FTE funding for coursework from which he or she totally withdrew if, as a result, such coursework does not appear on the student’s academic transcript as a “Withdrawal” or any other similar identification.
______COURSE SELECTION CREDIT
SO S P/G
1. Dual enrolled students shall take courses from the list approved by the
Georgia Department of Education, developed with input from the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. Hope Grant course list:
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us
2. Courses selected for dual enrollment must count toward high school
graduation requirements.
3. Not all eligible courses are available at all high schools or college locations.
4. Remedial and developmental courses are not available for dual enrollment.
6. Dual enrollment courses may be taken before, during or after the regular school day. Eligible virtual courses offered through the college may be taken.
7. Dual enrollment college credit will usually transfer to public colleges or universities offering that course with the same prefix and number. However, if students do not attend the same college or university after high school graduation, the dual enrollment credit they earned may not apply for transfer to general education, prerequisites and degree programs. Students are advised to consider the requirements of their post-high school institution when planning dual enrollment coursework.
8. Students should be aware that few course credits earned at technical colleges are transferable to two and four-year post-secondary institutions. It is the responsibility of the students to check on the transferability of potential course credits. Credit obtained at one post-secondary institution may or may not be transferred for credit to another institution – the permissible credit allowed for courses taken elsewhere is determined solely by the receiving postsecondary institution.
9. Part-time Dual Enrollment at a postsecondary institution – Part-time means enrollment for the equivalent of 1 through 11 semester hours per semester of postsecondary credit at an eligible postsecondary institution.
10. For students who participate in approved dual enrollment programs, the grades and amount of credit for each approved course shall be placed on high school transcripts and shall be used in computing grade point averages.
11. For each successfully completed, approved dual enrollment course, secondary credit shall be awarded toward state and local high school graduation requirements.
12. Credit conversions:
a. Postsecondary semester hour credit shall be converted to high school unit credit as follows: 1 to 2 semester hours = .5 unit; 3 to 5 semester hours = 1 unit
13. For purposes of secondary student records and calculating cumulative grade
point averages, letter grades earned at post-secondary institutions will be correlated to numerical grades as follows:
a. If the post-secondary institution provides a numerical grade, that grade will be recorded on the high school transcript
OR
b. If the post-secondary institution provides only letter grades, the letter grades will be correlated to numerical grades and recorded on the high school transcript and calculated in the grade point average as follows:
Letter Grade Numerical Grade
A 99
B 89
C 79
D 70
F 69
In order to fulfill statutory requirements per O.C.G.A 20-2-157, for purposes of HOPE reporting, the numeric grades recorded in the student’s high school transcript based on the equivalency chart listed above in item #2 will be identified and reported to Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC).
______COURSE INCOMPLETION OR FAILURE
SO S P/G
1. A student's graduation may be delayed if:
a. a course needed for graduation is failed or if the student withdraws from a course needed for graduation;
b. a course is audited rather than taken for credit.
2. If a student withdraws from a class or fails a class needed for graduation, he / she
a. may not be able to enroll in a high school or college course that will allow him / her to graduate on schedule. High school / college courses are offered on a rotational basis; therefore, not every course may be offered every quarter / semester.
b. may be considered for enrollment in a high school course pending a review of the factors that led to the request to re-enroll and the documentation presented in support of that request. If the request is granted, the student will re-enter the high school having missed the course content presented in the high school class(es) prior to his / her enrollment. This may hinder satisfactory progress in the high school class. The student is responsible for all missed content.
______ELIGIBILITY AND COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES
SO S P/G
1. Students enrolled in postsecondary courses must continue to meet the high school eligibility requirements for participation in high school competitive activities.
2. Students may participate in all non-competitive high school activities and organizations. Conflicts with class requirements and scheduling could prevent the student from being able to participate.
3. All dual enrollment students are eligible to participate in high school activities and events. However, it is the responsibility of the student to access information regarding dates and details for activities and events.
______STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
SO S P/G
1. It is the student's responsibility to:
a. follow the admission procedures and academic calendar of the college / university / technical college.
b. follow the rules and regulations of the college / university / technical college and the school system.
c. communicate with the high school counselor at least once per month.
d. request college / technical college grades be sent to the high school counselor at the end of each grading period.
e. notify the high school official of intent to participate in graduation exercises at least one month prior to Spring graduation.
f. receive advanced approval from the high school official to change college / university / technical college.
g. to arrange an appropriate high school / college/ university / technical college schedule.
h. provide accurate information. Falsifying, misrepresenting, or knowingly furnishing false information may lead to removal from the program.
i. communicate with the high school official prior to proposed changes being made to the college/university /technical college schedule.
j. make certain that all logistical requirements for participation such as transportation and timing can be met.
k. Be aware that technology issues for all post-secondary courses are the responsibility of the student and the post-secondary institution.
l. Be aware that the communication guidelines and access to instructors at the post-secondary level differ significantly from the high school level.
Part IV: TO BE SIGNED BY THE STUDENT AND HIS / HER PARENTS OR GUARDIANS
We have read and understand all conditions and procedures outline in the dual enrollment application, Parts I - IV, and will be responsible for verifying through the high school that all credits will be transferred at the appropriate times.
______
Student's Signature Parent's / Guardian's Signature
______
Date
******************************************************************
Any person who knowingly makes or furnished any false statement or misrepresentation, or who accepts such a statement as misrepresentation knowingly to be false, for the purpose of enabling an eligible institution to obtain wrongly any payment shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. O.C. G. A. 20-2-161.1 (i).
3