The Georgia House Bill 444 was introduced on January 28, which would drastically change the regulations involving the dual enrollment program available to high school students; more specifically, it would reduce the number of credit hours high schoolers could receive through state-funded college courses. 

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, House Bill 444 would only allow students 30 credit hours through the dual enrollment program, 15 per semester. Students wanting to gain more credit hours through the program would need to pay out of pocket for additional classes.

As the number of students enrolled in dual enrollment courses continues to increase every year, the state took this initiative to reduce rising costs of the program: the dual enrollment program has allowed low-income students from all over Georgia to start pursuing a college degree through these state-funded courses for several years. It was first presented in 1992 under the name “Move On When Ready”, which meant to expand dual enrollment opportunities by increasing the amount of courses students can take for college credit without the burden of paying for them. 

“I am upset by this because I know that there’s a lot of people who are unable to afford going straight into a four-year university after high school. Through dual enrollment, I’ve seen students who have been able to graduate high school and at the same time achieve an associate’s degree, only having to attend university for two more years to get their bachelor’s. It was a great route to take for lower-income students,” senior Juliana Charles said. 

Dual enrollment allowed students to rack up on credits while pursuing a high school diploma at the same time. The students participating in this program come from all over the state. Most students who take dual enrollment courses at Kennesaw State University come from various Georgia high schools like NC, Harrison, Pope, Walton and Kell, along with other large high schools from across both Cobb and Cherokee County. 

“Dual enrollment definitely helped me get experience with college courses and the kind of work that will be expected from me, along with their expectations. I think I’ve truly gotten prepared for college through this opportunity,” NC senior Angela Soldatenko said. 

Dual enrollment has offered plenty of students the chance to begin their college journeys at an early start for free. House Bill 444 remains subject to governor Brian Kemp’s approval and signature, but if approved, the bill will become effective for the 2020-2021 school year.