At the heart of a good dual credit program is the actual college credit. High school students want courses that prepare them for their future academic careers, but mostly they want affordable credit that lowers the cost of their degree.
At TEL, we work hard to create high-quality courses that help students build mastery through strategic course objectives and assignments that encourage more than memorization. But you don’t have to take our word for it. More than 20 higher education institutions have reviewed our courses and found that they were equal to or better than the courses they offered on their campuses.
But becoming a transcribing partner is more than just thumbing through a few lessons and calling it good. We want partners who are committed to reaching more students with affordable options to help them begin their college journey. We want these partners to be proud to put their name on the transcripts of the students who successfully complete the course that partner has approved.
What is a dual credit transcribing partner?
Many colleges and universities provide dual credit courses to nearby high schools. It provides additional tuition income and helps build an enrollment funnel. However, they inevitably encounter challenges with these programs:
- The school isn’t able to create real stickiness with the students and see a low conversion rate in terms of future enrollments
- Registration, enrollment, billing, other operational costs associated with dual-credit students keep the programs from being cost-effective
- Enrollment processes and class sizes create barriers to entry for students and schools and keep the programs from scaling
- Colleges lack the marketing/sales skills specific to scaling this type of a program.
By partnering with TEL, schools can offload much of the hassle and increase the cost-effectiveness of their dual enrollment programs while also expanding their reach. TEL is dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible courses that provide demonstrable evidence of learning. We look for partners who have a similar passion for learning and who are eager to build relationships with their students.
Our transcription partners review our courses, verify that they meet their institution’s standards for quality, and provide college credit to high school students. All while TEL handles the course delivery and support.
This partnership allows high school students, including homeschool students and independent learners, to earn college credit from a regionally accredited college or university. And they can do it flexibly and without driving to a college campus.
There are three primary steps for becoming a transcription partner with TEL: reviewing the courses for alignment, creating a relationship with the student, and providing transcripts for successful completion.
Reviewing the courses for alignment
Once a higher education institution decides to partner with TEL, they select the courses they are interested in transcribing for high schools and individual learners. We send their academic deans the course review packet for each course they are interested in transcribing.
At more than 40 pages, these review packets provide an in-depth look at the details of the course, including the course objectives, syllabus, assignment schedule, and course outline. The packet also includes information on how we select instructors and their qualifications if the school is not providing instructors.
If approved, the partner provides a course equivalency that will appear on the transcript. For example, a school that uses TEL’s Introduction to Communication might name the course Public Speaking.
After reviewing the course packet, some schools may want to make some minor changes or customize the course to more closely align with their goals.
Creating a relationship
One of the biggest issues we see with dual credit programs is they don’t do enough to build a relationship with the student. The school sends them LMS login instructions and a flyer about the degree programs they offer, and that’s it. Even if students are only taking one course, this is an opportunity to show them what it’s like to be a part of the school’s community.
Transcribing partners of course receive the information of the students who enroll with their institution, either as part of a school or as an independent learner, so the partner can add them to their enrollment funnel. But the relationship shouldn’t stop there. With access to additional resources, such as coaching, tutoring, and mentoring, the transcribing partner is able to establish themselves as a partner in the student’s learning.
Providing transcripts for successful completion
Once a student has successfully completed a dual credit course, the culmination of this course-long interaction is to request the transcript. With a transcript from a regionally accredited college or university, the student has the highest likelihood of the credit successfully applying to their degree program. After building a relationship with the student over the length of the course, the odds for matriculation to the transcription partner are good.
Building a successful dual credit program
Students need flexible and affordable options for college credit. Becoming a transcribing partner allows high schools and homeschool students to kickstart their college career, and helps those partners build a relationship with students. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a transcribing partner, reach out to us today to start the conversation.
If your college or university is building a dual credit program or wants to take it to the next level, check out our recorded webinar on 3 Steps to Creating a Successful Collegiate Academy Program.
