Effective April 1, 1996, Public Act 160 created the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act, commonly referred to as dual enrollment. This law directs school districts to assist students in paying tuition and fees for courses at Michigan public or private colleges and universities.

There are several conditions that are set in accordance with this law, but Milan Area Schools has always taken a progressive attitude toward student acceleration and providing a diverse offering of curriculum.

Generally, students dual enroll in the junior or senior year of high school. If you feel your child is ready for a dual enrollment challenge prior to those years, make sure to see your child’s grade level counselor for requirements a semester prior to enrollment.

There are added requirements for students that wish to dual enroll in a core area course (math, English, science and social studies). In these areas a student needs to participate in a standardized test (PSAT, PLAN, ACT or MME) and earn a set cut score from the state. Milan High offers the PSAT to sophomore students during the fall. The MME is for juniors and seniors only, and offered in the spring of a student’s junior year. For additional testing opportunities, the ACT and SAT have national test dates, which are available on their websites. Likewise, a student cannot dual enroll with a reimbursement from the school if the high school offers a similar course. Exceptions can be made for situations where a student cannot access the course due to scheduling conflicts. For more information of this, including cut scores needed to qualify for dual enrollment, go to www.michigan.gov/mde.

Other key requirements are:

1. Students must be enrolled in both the school district and postsecondary institution during the local school district’s regular academic year and must be enrolled in at least one high school class.
2. The college courses cannot be a hobby, recreation course, or in the subject of physical education, theology, divinity, or religious education.
3. Districts are required to pay the lesser of:
1. The actual charge for tuition, mandatory course fees, materials fees and registration fees; or
2. That state portion of the student’s foundation allowance, adjusted to the proportion of the school year they attend the postsecondary institution.

NOTE: In addition to potentially incurring a portion of the tuition, campus associated fees such as transportation or parking costs are not covered by the district.

For Milan High, generally students dual enroll for a 3-credit, 100/200 level college course that fulfills one / two period(s) per semester of MHS coursework. Students enrolling in a 4 or 5 credit course, or a 300-level or higher course, may dual-enroll for two/three periods of MHS coursework. Each semester of enrollment generally equates up to approximately $450 of reimbursement from the school for cost of credit. If the course is a 4 or 5-credit course or a 300-level course or higher, please contact the high school guidance office for reimbursement levels.

There are three main avenues students pursue for dual enrollment at Milan High School:

1. The traditional dual enrollment would include students pursuing courses off-campus generally at Washtenaw Community College, Monroe Community College, or Eastern Michigan University. Along with the state’s policies and our policies for dual enrollment, each institution has a set of requirements for enrollment. Again, contacting your high school guidance office, as well as university or college registrar’s office a semester prior to potentially enrolling in a course will give you ample time to make arrangements, complete entry requirements and enroll successfully into a class.
2. On-site Eastern Scholars program: Milan High School has strong partnership with Eastern Michigan University and offers courses from EMU at Milan High, during the school day, for our students. These courses are structured into our school calendar with an alternating schedule and registration is held on-site for convenience. Contact your grade level guidance counselor for information and cost of these unique offerings.
3. EMU/WISD Early College Alliance: The Early College Alliance (ECA) offers 20-40 seats to Milan High students entering their sophomore or junior year. Students would remain Milan Area School District students, but attend all classes at Eastern Michigan University. Students can earn up to 60 credits, with no cost for tuition, throughout their time in the program. Selection for enrollment is based on a lottery system. For more information, contact the ECA at: http://www.earlycollegealliance.info.

Please review the contents of this letter with your student. If you believe you are eligible for dual enrollment, that you qualify for tuition and fee support, and you wish to participate next semester please stop by the high school main office and schedule an appointment to meet with your grade level dean/counselor/assistant principal.

Dual enrollment fees only exempt families from an established pro-rated amount and therefore, families may incur additional expenses beyond what Milan Area Schools will reimburse. For example –for the most recent school year, Milan High School reimbursed up to $450.25/3 credit course. Rates fluctuate each year pending the Michigan school foundation allowance. Students that dual enroll may also be responsible for the entire tuition of a course if successful completion with a C or better is not achieved.