Apply to Attend College While in High School

Earn College Credit in High School Through Academic Enrichment or Dual Enrollment

At Sierra College, we offer two tracks for earning college credit while still in high school, at a participating school, or at Sierra College: Academic Enrichment and Dual Enrollment. Both options are tuition-free, and the credits you earn may count for both high school and college requirements. Taking college classes in high school is not only a smart financial decision, but an investment in your future.

Plus, if you decide to attend a two-year California Community College once you graduate from high school, earning college credit now will not affect your eligibility for Two Years Free.

Option 2: Dual Enrollment

The Dual Enrollment Program tuition-free program that allows students to earn high school and college credits from the same class on their high school campus.

• NJUHSD: Bitney, Bear River, Nevada Union, Silver Springs
• PUHSD: Colfax, Confluence, Del Oro, Foresthill, Maidu, Placer, Placer School of the Arts
• RJUHSD: Adelante, Antelope, Granite Bay, Independence, Oakmont, Roseville, Woodcreek
• RUSD: Rocklin, Whitney
• WPUSD: Lincoln, Twelve Bridges
• OTHER: Center, CTE Works, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy

Note: This not be a comprehensive list. If your high school is not listed and you would like more information, contact Nigel Haikins-Appiah, Program Director of Dual Enrollment Management, at (916) 660-7505 or [email protected].

1. Meet with your high school counselor. Verify that you qualify and discuss your class options.
2. Apply to Sierra College. Apply online through OpenCCC and indicate that you are a high school student. We recommend using a personal email address and not a school email. Watch a tutorial video on applying for Dual Enrollment program.
3. Set up your mySierra account. Refer to your Welcome email and use the password reset tool to create your account. If you have not received the Welcome email, contact [email protected].
4. Complete the Dual Enrollment Permission e-form. During the first week of class (or prior to), you will receive a link to this form, which you can access using your mySierra username and password.
5. Parent/guardian and counselor e-form signatures. After you e-sign and submit the e-form, it will be routed to the parent/guardian you provided in the form, then to your high school counselor, and back to Sierra College. Video for Parents: How to sign the Dual Enrollment e-form.
6. Class registration. Sierra College will register you in the class(es) you were approved for. You can then check with your instructor or your mySierra account to confirm you were enrolled in the class.

View the Dual Enrollment Policies and Guidelines in PDF format.

• Although these courses are held on high school campuses and may be taught by high school instructors, they are college courses and all College rules apply. Your student will be treated as a college student, not as a high school student, in dual enrollment classes. In college courses, students are expected to be aware of college and course rules, processes, and expectations even if the instructor has not specifically referenced them in class. Refer to the college catalogue for a complete listing of Sierra College policies and procedures.
• The course credit and grades earned will become part of the student’s permanent college record. There is no way to remove Ws or substandard grades (D, F) from a college transcript. Classes in which a student receives a passing grade cannot be retaken later for a higher grade.
• Students must meet all course prerequisites to enroll in a course, which may require assessment tests.
• Students may enroll in a combined maximum of 11 units per term between Dual Enrollment and Academic Enrichment courses.
• Upon graduation from high school, students must submit a new application to be considered a first-time college student.
• Students are responsible for being aware of and adhering to policies, procedures and deadlines (including Add/Drop deadlines) as they pertain to Sierra College students, including attendance requirements.
• The parent or guardian assumes financial responsibility for any fees incurred at Sierra College by his or her dual enrollment student.
• Dual enrollment students are not eligible for state or federal financial aid.
• The Sierra College Disability Support Programs and Services (DSPS) provides accommodation services to Sierra College students who have documented disabilities. Visit the College in High School page on the Sierra website for information on how to request accommodation services.
• Students may be exposed to discussions, readings, and visual materials of a mature nature. Students will be expected to conform to the same performance standards as any other college students as set forth in course outlines and syllabi and no alternate assignments will be provided. Sierra College is not responsible for the social interactions of students.
• Under Section 49061 of the Education Code, parents of community college students do not have a right of access to their children’s student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. High school students attending Sierra College must abide by the same FERPA laws as any other college student. For more information on FERPA laws please visit their website. Although the dual enrollment class may be taught by a high school teacher, the instructor will not be able to talk to you about your student’s performance in the class and College staff will not provide parents or guardians with information about the student’s record, including log-in information for MySierra.

Accommodation Services

The Sierra College Student Accessibility Services provides accommodation services to Sierra College students who have documented disabilities.

• Academic accommodations available at the college level differ from those available at the high school level.
• Dual Enrollment students must follow the same registration process as Sierra College students when requesting DSPS services. The registration process is found online at Student Accessibility Services.
• It is the responsibility of the student to provide documentation which verifies that the student’s condition meets the definition of a disability as defined by applicable laws (i.e., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008).
• Federal Law requires that requests for services for students with disabilities be considered on an individual, case-by-case basis.

Questions

If you have questions about specific courses at Sierra College and how they relate to a particular career or major you’re considering, please schedule an appointment with a Sierra College Counselor. A counselor can help you understand how your Academic Enrichment or Dual Enrollment course fits into a pathway you are considering. Meeting with a Sierra College counselor should not replace meeting with your high school counselor. Please contact the counseling office to book an appointment with:

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