Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship

The 2023-2024 Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship application for Spring and Summer 2024 closed on March 15, 2024.  Students will still be able to make updates to the 2023-2024 application through June 1, 2024.
Unfortunately, the 2024 Mississippi Legislature did not provide continued funding for the Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship.  No DE/DC Scholarships will be offered for the 2024-25 academic year.  Students who submitted a DE/DC application for 2024-25 will receive a notice to this effect.  Students should contact their high school counselor to discuss other options for paying for dual enrollment or dual credit courses for the upcoming year.  

2023-24 Informational Flier

Program Overview:

The Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship program was created by the 2023 Mississippi Legislature to provide funds for Mississippi students to earn college credit while still in high school.

Public and charter school juniors and seniors may apply for the scholarship to reimburse the institution for tuition for up to six credit hours (lifetime eligibility) of Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit courses offered by a participating institution in Mississippi (at this time, all public and private colleges and universities are planning to participate in the program).

Student Eligibility Requirements:

  • Be a Mississippi resident.
  • Be a high school junior or senior in a public or charter high school in Mississippi.
  • Meet the criteria outlined in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual Enrollment and Accelerated Programs. (High school counselors and the participating institutions must ensure students meet the requirements.)
  • Enroll in eligible academic or CTE course (must be listed in Procedures Manual) at a participating institution. (Participating institutions must ensure students are enrolled in eligible courses.)

Application Process:

The application for DEDC will be separate from the application a student submits for state aid after high school graduation. The application is short and includes the following fields:

  • Name
  • Phone Number(s)
  • High School Graduation Month/Year
  • DOB
  • Gender
  • College or University Attending (by term)
  • SSN
  • Race
  • Number of courses (by term)
  • Email Address(es) – Do NOT use high school
  • High School
  • Legal disclaimers
  • Mailing Address
  • High School Classification (Junior or Senior)
  • FERPA release

Students are not required to submit any supporting documents.

Upon submitting the application, students should verify their email address to ensure they are able to log in to their student account.

The student will use the same MAAPP account throughout their high school and college careers.

Award Amount and Process:  

DEDC will cover the tuiton costs for up to six credit hours (lifetime maximum) of dual credit/enrollment.

Tuition for DEDC Scholarship recipients will be reimbursed at a set rate of 40% of the average community college credit hour tuition.  For 2023-24, the tuition reimbursement rate was $65.08/credit hour.  

DEDC awards will be equal to the set-rate reimbursement rate for up to six credit hours (typically two courses, either academic or CTE).

Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.   As long as funds remain available, students will be offered a tentative award shortly after submitting the application.

Awards will be paid directly to the college offering the dual enrollment/credit course only after the student’s enrollment has been confirmed.

Official Rules and Regulations:

Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship Rules and Regulations

Questions:

Questions about the application process or a student’s award status should be directed to the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid using the contact information below.

All other questions, including questions about student academic eligibility to participate in dual enrollment/credit, course selection or availability, or other costs beyond tuition should be directed to either the high school or the college.

FAQs:

Q: What if I listed the wrong college?  Can I change it?
A: Yes!  Simply log in to your MAAPP account, select the Academic tab, and change the institution.

Q: What if Iapplied for two courses but I only enroll in one, or I only applied for one course but I end up enrolling in two?
A: You do not need to take any action in either situation.  SFA will pay your award to the college based on your actual enrollment, even if your enrollment doesn’t match what you provided on your application.  However, if you really wish to update your application, you may send a message to SFA using the “Contact Us” form at the bottom of the page.

Q: What if I applied but I decide not to take any courses – can I decline my award?
A: There is no need for you to decline your award.  The award will not be paid until or unless the college verifies your enrollment.  If you do not enroll, your award will be cancelled automatically.  However, if you really wish to decline your award, you may send a message to SFA using the “Contact Us” form at the bottom of the page.

High School/Counselor Information:

Follow these steps to create a report of students who have completed the Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Scholarship application:

  1. Log in to your M AAPP Dashboard using your username and password.
  2. Select the Reports tab from the left-hand sidebar.
  3. Using the filters at the top of the screen, select 2023-2024 as the Aid Year.
  4. Filter for 2024 and 2025 for the High School Graduation Year.  2024 and 2025 high school graduates would only have a 2023-24 application on file for DEDC, so filtering for the high school graduation year will ensure your 2023 graduates with regular MAAPPs do not appear on the list.
  5. Click Export Report.  The report will open in an Excel file that can be saved and further manipulated in Excel.
  6. If you want to cross-reference the report of applicants with a list of students awarded, navigate to the Awards tab, select DEDC under Award Type and 2023-2024 under Aid Year.  Unfortunately, right now the Awards list cannot be exported, so counselors will need to do a visual cross-reference.

UPDATE 2/28/24: Many DEDC Scholarships have not yet been paid out to the institutions due to problems with the enrollment files received from the colleges.  Therefore, you may have students with DEDC Scholarships that are still showing up on your invoice from the college.  The college cannot be paid twice for the same student, so any refunds will go first back to the district.  Therefore, if the school district pays for a student who later receives the scholarship, the district will be refunded the money paid on behalf of the student.