• Earn high school and college credit at the same time.
• Take classes online on your time.
• Many dual credit courses transfer to Texas public colleges and universities, and some out-of-state and private colleges and universities.
• Complete college-level certifications while in high school that can lead to immediate job opportunities.
• Save money on college tuition.
• Accelerate time to degree completion by getting a head start in college - you could earn up to a year or more of college credit.
• Build confidence by easing the transition to college life and expectations.
• Access Lone Star College-Online student support services - library, tutoring, career services, and disability services.

To qualify for dual credit, students must:

• Be enrolled in high school; public, private or homeschool 
• Obtain approval from the high school designee for dual credit enrollment;
• Complete Lone Star College admissions requirements;
• Meet minimum college readiness test scores in reading, writing, math and/or prerequisites for the course(s) you want to take for dual credit. 

Dual Credit students receive a tuition waiver and only pay for the fees associated with their class. The complete Tuition & Fee Schedule can be found at LoneStar.edu/Tuition. The initial test fee for the Texas Success Initiative (TSI Assessment) is waived for dual credit students. Retests are $10 per section. Textbooks and other instructional materials may be purchased online or from campus bookstores in new, used, rental, or e-book formats if required for the dual credit course enrollment

Determination that a college course meets the high school TEKS/learning outcomes for a particular high school course is the responsibility of the school district or private/charter/home school.  Lone Star College does not identify courses as meeting any particular TEA requirements for high school graduation. Lone Star College has designed dual credit courses to the meet the TEKS, but additional outcomes required by any school/district will need to be supplemented by that school/district. All decisions regarding a student's high school graduation plan should be determined by their school counselor/administrator. Offering a dual credit course remains the decision of each school. A course that is listed does not automatically grant a school approval to offer a course.

For a list of courses please visit our Dual Credit Courses page.

Placement Tests

Students must demonstrate Texas Success Initiative (TSI) compliance and/or have taken an approved assessment test.

• ACT
• SAT
• STAAR End-of-Course Exam
• Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA)
• ACT PLAN/ACT Aspire
• PSAT/NMSQT

Test scores are applicable to requirements as stated in the Texas Success Initiative and dual credit student eligibility rules as governed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). THECB rules may change to meet state legislature requirements with new changes taking precedence as required by state law.  

Course Prerequisites

A high school student in grades 9-12 is eligible to enroll in dual credit courses if the student meets the course prerequisites requirements required by both the secondary (ISD, charter, or private) school and LSC-Online.

• High School: For specific enrollment requirements and prerequisites for high school credit, please meet with your dual credit high school counselor or designee.
• LSC-Online: The student is required to meet all of LSC’s prerequisite requirements for the course, such as a minimum score on a specified placement test and/or minimum grade in a specified previous course as stated the LSC Catalog.

Note: Secondary Schools (ISD, charter, or private) may select a different deadline that supersedes Lone Star College's published deadlines. Please confirm the secondary school's deadline with your dual credit high school designee or counselor.