F.A.Q.'s

1. What is dual credit?

Programming that is authorized and funded by Alberta Education and Childcare in which grade 10, 11, or 12 students can earn both high school credits and credits that count toward a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree, including a journeyperson certificate. 

• High school credits earned count toward course and credit requirements of the Alberta High School Diploma or the Alberta Certificate of High School Achievement. 

• Post-secondary credits earned may count toward a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree through partial or full completion of post-secondary requirements. 

2. My school authority has never been involved in dual credit before. What is the first step we should take? 

• The first step in offering a dual credit opportunity to your students is to establish a contractual agreement with a post-secondary partner. Several Alberta post-secondary institutions are experienced in the delivery of dual credit programming and are able to guide you through this process. 
• Should you decide to partner with a post-secondary institution who is new to dual credit, a sample Memorandum of Understanding can be found in the Resources and Data section of this website. It can also be good practice to consult with Student Associations when setting up a new MOU.
• Additional background information regarding setting up a dual credit opportunity can also be found on Alberta Education's Dual credit - planning and programming page. 

3. How can we find out what dual credit opportunities already exist?

•  Information regarding dual credit partners and opportunities will be available in the Partners and Programs section of this website.  

4. What steps would a school authority take if there was a course that was of interest to their students but was not yet approved by Alberta Education?

•  When school authorities design a new pathway, they need to apply for new course codes for the programming. See Alberta Education and Childcare's Dual credit-apply for course codes page for details. 

5. What are FLE reporting requirements for publicly funded post-secondary institutions directly offering dual enrolled dual credit with a school authority partner?

• If your Alberta publicly funded post-secondary institution delivers programming related to dual credit, these learner enrolments need to be captured in the Advanced Education Learner and Enrolment Reporting System (LERS).

  Enrolments reported in LERS should be limited to programming delivered directly by a post-secondary institution regardless of where the instruction took place (e.g., the institution delivering the programming would be the one reporting enrolments, regardless of whether they delivered the programming at their institution, virtually, at a high school, etc.).

  Alberta publicly funded post-secondary institutions’ LERS reporting includes enrolment (both FLE and headcount) in dual credit-related programming. Institutions report dual credit course(s) enrolment in LERS in Open Studies, unless the learner is actually enrolled in a program at the institution. If a learner is also enrolled in a program, the enrolment record in LERS would be tracked in that program and not in Open Studies. In both instances, the enrolments would count towards an institution’s FLE and learner headcount.

  Additionally, these enrolment records are to be reported based on where the learner took the majority of the programming in the session (e.g., if the learners were on a post-secondary campus, they would be reported as on campus, and those being taught at a high school would be reported at a campus location similar to “Alberta High School”). 

  • Note: Possible future updates to dual credit location reporting in LERS are also being reviewed. Any future updates will be communicated with stakeholders.

  In cases where the institution is not delivering the programming, enrolments are not to be reported in LERS (even if post-secondary credit is being awarded to the learner).

  Institutions can award credit for dual credit arrangements delivered by a high school/collegiate school. This data would just not be a part of LERS, which only tracks enrolments for programming delivered by publicly funded post-secondary institutions. 

6. What Education and Childcare learning & teaching resource requirements apply to post-secondary institutions offering dual credit with a school authority partner?

• Dual credit stakeholder partners (e.g., school authorities, post-secondary institutions, business/industry) who are providing dual credit programming to high school students should ensure that they are in alignment with learning and teaching resource approval requirements as determined by Education and Childcare. For more information, please see resources on the Curriculum Implementation Information Hub on new LearnAlberta and consult with Education and Childcare. 

7. Can high school international students and temporary residents access dual credit programming, including with post-secondary institution partners?

• The Dual Credit Implementation Guide supports the Alberta Dual Credit Framework and assists school authorities, post-secondary, and business industry partners, along with school authority leaders, teachers, and community members in the development and implementation of dual credit opportunities for Alberta’s high school students. The Alberta Dual Credit Framework identifies dual credit as programming that is authorized and funded by Alberta Education in which grade 10, 11, or 12 students can earn both high school credits and credits that count toward a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree, including a journeyperson certificate.

• All grade 10, 11 and 12 students enrolled in an Alberta high school are generally eligible to take all Alberta high school programming, including dual credit courses. This includes international students and children of temporary residents as long as they are enrolled in an Alberta high school.

• There is also other programming not directly included in the Alberta Dual Credit Framework that can be taken during high school studies and provide credit towards post-secondary education and training, such as programming under the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). Apprentice eligibility requirements may preclude high school international students from taking programming in RAP.

• Further questions about study permits or status could be directed to the school authority partner to confirm that applicable requirements were met prior to enrolment or directed to the organization that grants the permits.

• For more information regarding dual credit, see Education and Childcare.