Growing dual credit program at ACTC setting high school students up for success

Published on Jun 11, 2024

Young high school students are finding their path to success through Ashland Community and Technical College’s growing dual credit program. 

The dual credit program gives you both high school and college credit for general education classes taken while you’re still a junior or senior in high school. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to take career and technical courses. 

Examples of general education courses include English, history, math, and science courses. Examples of career and technical courses include welding, electrical, business, and certified nurse aide courses.

“Increasing career and technical education (CTE) course enrollment continues to be the priority to grow dual credit,” shared Vicki McGinnis, ACTC Dual Credit Coordinator. 

“Our CTE spring enrollment increased from 155 students in the spring of 2023 to 199 students this year.”

“We will be adding culinary dual credit at Boyd County this coming year and will be working with them to support other dual credit pathways to ACTC when their new career center is ready to use,” McGinnis continued. “We continue to look for opportunities to support all of our K-12 partners with career and college preparation.”

High school students in the area can look forward to new additions being added to the dual credit program. Electrical dual credit courses will be added at Russell Area Technology Center this coming school year, and Education dual credit courses to support the teacher preparation pathway at Fairview High School will also be added this coming year.

BIO 137 (anatomy and physiology) has been recently added to Greenup County High School, making it available in person at four high schools, also including Boyd County High School, Russell High School, and Ashland Paul Blazer High School. 

For the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, ACTC will be offering dual credit opportunities in Air Conditioning Technology, Applied Process Technologies, Computer Information Technology, Computerized Manufacturing and Machining, Criminal Justice, Industrial Maintenance, and Medical Information Technology both online and on campus.

“We would love to see more high school students taking advantage of the opportunities to come to our campus and take courses in the programs which do not have “feeder” opportunities like electrical and welding at their local high schools and technical centers,” McGinnis concluded. “These technical paths lead to high wage, high demand job opportunities upon completion.”

For more information, email McGinnis at vicki.mcginnis@kctcs.edu.