Teresa Lubbers
According to ICHE’s findings, Indiana students who earned early college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses are more likely to enroll directly in college, more likely to achieve early success in college and are more likely to graduate on time than their peers.
Moreover, early college credit attainment has played a role in efforts to close the state’s achievement gap for low-income and minority students, while also having the potential to annually save Indiana $62 million and its students a total of nearly $69 million in tuition costs over the course of their postsecondary education.
“These positive results underscore our state’s commitment to providing all students with dual credit opportunities in high school,” said Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “From the postsecondary institutions who offer dual credit opportunities to state legislators who have worked hard to make these opportunities accessible, the data show that our statewide efforts are paying off for students and our state.”
Over the last four years, the number of Indiana students enrolled in AP or dual credit courses rose to 62 percent, a 15 percentage point increase.
One of the biggest factors driving this increase in AP and dual credit course enrollment is collaboration between the commission and the state’s high schools and postsecondary institutions to spread awareness about early college credit opportunities, Lubbers said, noting that spreading awareness is still a challenge, however.
