Dual-enrollment courses are a part of the solution to private colleges' tuition dilemma

As the Chronicle of higher education points out this morning, dual-enrollment courses are on the rise in partnerships between high schools and colleges.  Such courses help solve several problems:

• They assist colleges in their quest for freshmen at a time when meeting enrollment goals is a major challenge for many higher ed institutions.
• They challenge bright students who otherwise might find their senior years of high school boring.
• They also acculturate such students to the differing demands of college courses as compared to high school academic offerings.
• And they give the student a head start on her/his college education, cutting costs for cash-strapped parents.

This makes them a win-win-win. 

Perhaps most important for private colleges, which have hit a ceiling on tuition increases and a floor on tuition discounts, they are part of a broader solution to this double-bind.  If students can come to high-priced private colleges and universities with a substantial portion of their four-year degree already completed, then the average price of the prestigious private-school diploma may be in easy reach.  In addition to dual-enrollment courses, AP courses, community colleges, and for non-traditional students their work experiences, can all contribute to the mix, such that the student can come into the four-year, high-tuition environment with 50% or more of the degree already earned.

Military veterans may enjoy a special advantage in this regard.  Some with whom I am acquainted come with college credits earned online while in the service, plus the VA benefits that cover college costs going forward.  If the host institution offers college credit for military training and/or special tuition rates under Yellow Ribbon or similar programs, the vet enjoys a triple whammy on the way to the four-year degree.