Are you a high school junior or senior who wants to get several college freshman credits out of the way before leaving high school? You can do it at Vance-Granville Community College.

A program called A Step Ahead allows high school students to take college-level courses at community colleges through dual enrollment and get both high school and college credits. The community college waives the tuition charges for high school students taking dual enrollment courses, making this option very inexpensive.

Also, more classes than ever before are available online, and may be conveniently taken at home or in high school computer labs.

With many area high schools on the 4x4 "block" schedule, students may have completed all their courses required for graduation from high school by December of their senior year but still need some elective hours. Dual enrollment provides them an ideal opportunity to get college-level courses completed, along with their high school courses, in their final high school year and use them as high school electives. Students find taking dual enrollment classes gives them an advantage when applying to colleges. A wide variety of courses may be applied to core requirements at public and most private colleges and universities in North Carolina, including community colleges.

All college transfer courses are available to high school students through dual enrollment if they have completed the necessary pre-requisites. While college transfer classes are the focus of A Step Ahead, high school students may take classes in any of the more than 40 Vance-Granville Curriculum Programs that lead to degrees and diplomas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Dual Enrollment cost?

• Tuition is waived for A Step Ahead students.
• Students will be required to purchase textbooks and pay appropriate fees.
• During Summer Term, tuition may not be waived for certain courses.
  
  

Am I eligible for Dual Enrollment?

To qualify for A Step Ahead at VGCC, students:

• Must be enrolled in a high school program and making satisfactory progress toward graduation.
• Must be enrolled in high school at least as a half-time student.
• Must get written permission (Dual Enrollment form) from high school principal and approval from appropriate staff at VGCC prior to registration.
• Must be at least 16 years of age (a high school junior or senior).
• Must have satisfactory attendance and behavior record while in high school.
• Must follow procedures and guidelines of the college and abide by the Student Code of Conduct as listed in the college catalog.
  
  

What do I need to do in order to be admitted?

A Step Ahead students will need to:

• Complete and submit an admissions application to the VGCC Admissions office.
• Take the VGCC college entrance exam and have acceptable scores, or provide SAT or ACT test results.
• Complete the registration process. Students may register during late registration based on available space.
• Remember that VGCC classes may start prior to the beginning of a high school term.
  
  

Talk to a high school guidance counselor, or call any of our campuses to find out more:

• Main Campus (252) 738-3234
• South Campus (919) 528-4737
• Warren Campus (252) 257-1900; or
• Franklin Campus (919) 496-1567