Counselors and Coordinators

• Students need to understand that taking a concurrent enrollment course will begin their college transcript. The grade earned in the course will be on their permanent college transcript and will affect future GPA and attempted credits.
• The credits earned are highly transferable. Some students believe the credits can only be used at Minneapolis College or other Minnesota State institutions, but our studies show they are well accepted at out-of-state and private institutions as well. Students do need to understand they need to take steps to transfer their credits to use them at a different institution, and acceptance at other institutions is never guaranteed.
• Studies show many advantages for students taking concurrent enrollment courses including:
  • Confidence in taking and passing college-level courses
  • Money and time saved in accumulating college credits at no cost before high school graduation
  • Increased flexibility in college schedules and courses
  • Higher GPAs once in college
• Concurrent enrollment courses are no longer considered opportunities for only the most high achieving high school students. Students of many achievement levels can succeed in the courses.
• If students do find themselves struggling in a course, they have options and resources available to them, including access to college tutoring services and computer labs. They also can consider withdrawing from the course at the college, while they still remain in the class at the high school.
• Download the Student Handbook for more information.

First, students must be enrolled in an approved concurrent enrollment course at their high school. Once in the course, students must apply to gain college credit for the course. Most high school instructors will help students through these steps:

1. Complete an electronic application form. The high school teacher will supply the link for the form.
2. Submit a high school transcript.  High school instructors or counselors are usually able to help with this step. If the high school transcript shows a GPA that does not meet prerequisite requirements for the course, the student will not be enrolled in the course.
3. Submit score reports.  These may be Accuplacer, SAT, MCA or AP/IB scores. Again, the high school instructor or counselor can assist with this step. As a response to COVID-19, Minneapolis College is currently not requiring Accuplacer testing.
4. If neither the high school GPA nor other scores do not meet minimum requirements, students can discuss with their instructor the possibility of submitting a request to waive prerequisites based on other factors that demonstrate readiness for college courses.

This Transfer of Credits webpage describes steps for transferring concurrent enrollment credits.

Please read about some of the latest research on the benefits of concurrent enrollment.

Sandra K. Gonzalez
(612) 659-6771