CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As more and more students start taking college courses earlier, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission says there has been an over 11% growth in dual enrollment programs across the state.
The HEPC recently announced the 11.5% increase in high school dual enrollment through four-year institutions, saying this growth comes as the state’s new dual enrollment initiative, LevelUpWV, continues to expand.
HEPC Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Corley Dennison said this growth in dual enrollment programs spans from last fall to this fall, and he believes it occurred because lawmakers saw it could work.
“I think most of that is because the legislature passed this bill in 2023 and they wanted a pilot, so in the 2023-24 school year was our first year in the pilot, and then here in the second year I think we were able to expand to a number of schools across the state,” said Dennison.
After launching last year, LevelUpWV allows high school students to take college courses for free.
Dennison said dual enrollment students sign up for both high school and college courses at the same time, giving them credit for both high school and college work when they complete the semester.
He said it has proven to be a win-win for them.
“Studies have shown that students who do dual enrollment are more likely to go to college than students who do not, and one thing that is sort of a chink in the armor in dual enrollment is that quite often, you get students who are going to college anyway,” he said. “This pilot is working to get students who maybe aren’t thinking about postsecondary education to enroll in dual enrollment courses and realize they, too, can succeed in college.”
HEPC reports that approximately 4.600 students from 52 counties participated in the LevelUpWV pilot program in the first year, being offered at both state universities as well as local community and technical colleges.
Currently, the commission reported early statistics are indicating that more than 6,700 students are taking part in the program for the 2024-25 academic year.
Dennison said something that’s unique about LevelUpWV is that students have to be enrolled in a pathway that leads to a career.
“So they can’t just necessarily take a smattering of courses that they choose, they have a curriculum that has a set of designated courses that leads to preparation for some kind of job,” he said.
He said they have pathways in programs such as engineering, aviation maintenance, teaching, social work, and healthcare.
Dennison said each of the pathways are helping students get a head start on their career.
He said they expect by the end of this academic year, all public institutions in the state will be participating in LevelUpWV.
“We have a couple that are coming on this spring and that will get us to all of the four-year institutions and I think all of the two-year institutions too,” said Dennison.
By looking at an average of the college tuition rates, HEPC estimates they have saved the students a total of $11 million in tuition costs through this program.
West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker said LevelUpWV is a major win for students.
“This program not only provides students with a head start on their college education, but it also saves families money and puts students on a faster track toward earning a college degree,” stated Tucker. “The growth we are seeing in dual enrollment is helping increase overall enrollment at our universities, making higher education more accessible for students of all backgrounds.”
In addition, the number of students in the state receiving needs-based financial aid has also increased. West Virginia’s Higher Education Grant Program saw an increase in recipients from 14,284 in 2022-23 to 15,360 in 2023-24.