Early College FAQ

Early College includes all opportunities for students to earn college credit through BC while they in high school (Dual Enrollment, Concurrent Enrollment, and Articulated Credit). Some high school districts have created complete Early College Pathways that allow for high school students to complete entire certificates or degrees by the time they graduate from high school. For Early College opportunities at you high school, please visit your district page from the Early College homepage.

Dual enrollment is when you take a course offered at your high school site that is mostly filled with high school students. Concurrent enrollment is when you enroll in a BC course that is offered at one of BC's campuses (or online) that is mostly filled with non-high school students. For more about the differences and how to enroll, visit How to Enroll.

Some high schools have CTE courses that grant Articulated Credit through BC. For more information about articulated credit available at your high school site and how to get the credit, please visit Articulation.

Please refer to our “How to Enroll” page for more information on signing up for dual or concurrent enrollment.

You can ask your high school counselor what classes are offered as dual enrollment at your high school. You can also check on the Early College website by selecting your district and the your high school: Early College homepage.

As a high school student, you are designated as a Special Part-Time Admit student. You may enroll in a total of up to 11 units in the Fall and again in the Spring, and then up to 7 units in the Summer, including both dual and concurrent enrollment classes. If you attend a CCAP school, you may take a total of 15 units, no more than 4 courses in the Fall and Spring and a total of 9 units in the Summer.

It is suggested that high school students check with their high school counselor regarding which concurrent enrollment courses they should take. Most high school students work on college general education requirements and/or start on entry-level work towards their desired degree. For more about general education patterns at BC, visit General Education Patterns. For mappings of each the certificates and degrees offered at BC, you can use your Program Mapper tool. If you need assistance selecting courses, you can email earlycollege@bakersfieldcollege.edu and request an appointment with an advisor or counselor.

Students will be evaluated based on their high school transcripts to determine eligibility for a course with a prerequisite. If you are requesting a course with a prerequisite, please submit a transcript with your form. You can view prerequisite details in our catalog.

To see which BC courses are equivalent to AP exam credit, please visit Advanced Placement Program in the catalog

All course information can be found on our class schedule.

Courses completed at BC will go on your BC college transcript. It is up to your high school site whether they also add them to your high school transcript. Grades can be sent by the Early College team to your high school site upon request from the high school.

Courses added to your Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Special Admit Form are for college credit only. High School credit will only be given based on the approval of your high school or district administrator. Taking a dual or concurrent enrollment course at BC does not guarantee high school credit.

“W” stands for “withdrawal.” It means that you dropped the course after the census date. A “W” will show on your transcript; a “W” is better than a D or an F, but you still want to avoid it if you can. When you receive a “W” you want to make sure that you retake that course as soon as you are ready to. Make sure you pay attention to important dates, like drop dates, each term. See Important Dates.

It is recommended that students who are not doing well in dual or concurrent enrollment courses drop the course before Census, or before the last date to receive a W. If students do not drop, and then receive a D or F, they can petition to retake the course, but the poor grade will not be removed from their permanent record. Poor grades will have a negative impact on their college GPA and academic standing. For more on academic standing, please visit Academic Standing.

BC's online courses are all offered through Canvas. The BC website has helpful information about Canvas, including a video tutoring here: Technology Resource page for Online Students.

For dual enrollment, all fees are waived. For concurrent enrollment, tuition fees are waived but students are responsible for all other fees and the cost of textbooks and materials. To view and pay your fees, log in to MyBanWeb.

No. Financial Aid is not available to students who have not graduated from high school. If you have fees and materials costs that you cannot cover, please talk with your high school site. High Schools may have support services in place, but it is not required that they cover the costs for concurrent enrollment.

For dual enrollment, your books will be provided by your high school. For concurrent enrollment, you can search for and purchase required textbooks using the course CRN at the BC Bookstore.

Students in Dual Enrollment courses and Early College pathways will be enrolled into courses by Admissions and Records once all steps are completed by the student and their district. Students cleared for Concurrent Enrollment will be assigned a registration date during Open Registration.

To schedule your appointment, please call the counseling office at (661) 395-4421. When prompted, press 1. Let the attendant know you would like to schedule an appointment with an Early College counselor, and they will assist you in finding a suitable time.