Dual Credit Information for Parents of the Student

Program Cost & Eligibility

Is the Dual Credit program free?

• No. However, eligible high school students have access to state funding for their college credits called Advanced Opportunities.

Who qualifies for the dual credit rate and Advanced Opportunities funding?

• To qualify for the dual credit rate and Advanced Opportunities funding, students must be Idaho residents who have not graduated from high school or earned a GED.

They must also meet one of the following criteria:

• Attend an Idaho public high school
• Attend a Cognia-accredited private high school
• Be an Idaho homeschool student (Homeschool students are welcome to participate, but must affiliate with a public high school to receive state funding.)

Advanced Opportunities Funding

What is the Advanced Opportunities program, and how much funding does it provide?

• It is an Idaho state program that allocates $4,625 to every Idaho public school student in grades 7–12 to help cover costs for:
  • Dual Credit courses
  • Overload courses
  • Exams
  • Workforce Training courses

Students attending Cognia-accredited Idaho private schools are also eligible for a modified allocation of $2,500.

Are there any courses that Advanced Opportunities will not cover?

• Yes. Remedial or repeated courses are not eligible for funding (college entrance exams are excluded from this rule). Examples of remedial courses include: MATH-015, MATH-025, MATH-090 and MATH-108.

Tuition & County Residency Fees

What is the tuition rate for Kootenai County residents?

• Tuition is $75 per credit for Kootenai County residents.

What is the tuition rate for non-Kootenai County residents?

• The cost is $75 per credit, plus a $50 per credit out-of-county fee, which is capped at $500 per semester.

Can non-Kootenai County residents get financial support for these extra fees?

• Yes. As long as a student has remaining funds, Advanced Opportunities will cover the additional $50 per credit. The Dual Credit Office encourages all out-of-county students to file an approved Certificate of Residency (COR) with their home County Clerk’s Office. Idaho residents living outside of Kootenai County can receive up to $3,000 in total benefits ($500 per semester or $50 per credit).

Do out-of-county fees apply to summer classes?

• No. Out-of-county fees are only charged during the fall and spring semesters.

What costs must students always pay out of pocket?

• Even if you receive state funding, all labs, books and course fees must be paid out of pocket by the student before each semester's drop date. Payment can be completed online: MyNIC > Self Service > Student Finance account.

Funding Logistics & Course Failures

Why do I still see a tuition balance on my account if Advanced Opportunities is paying for it?

• Advanced Opportunities funds are sent by the state after the semester has ended. Due to this delay, a balance will show on your student finance account until NIC receives the funding from the state and applies it to your account. Contact the Dual Credit Office if you have questions.

What is the timeline and process for submitting courses for funding?

• Request Window: The student or high school counselor submits the courses to Advanced Opportunities during the designated request window each semester.
• Verification: NIC verifies that the submitted courses match enrollment before the verification deadline.
• Approval & Payment: Advanced Opportunities approves and pays NIC after the final submission deadline.

What happens if I fail (F) or withdraw (W) from a course funded by Advanced Opportunities?

• There can be repercussions, including account "flags" and losing future funding. Review the rules regarding such scenarios in the Idaho State Department of Education Student User Manual.

Home School Students are welcome to participate in the dual credit program. 10% of our dual credit students are homeschoolers.

Tuition and fees at NIC are among the lowest in Idaho and the Inland Northwest. All rates quoted on the Tuition and Fees' page are subject to change without notice. Idaho residents not living in Kootenai, Ada, Bonneville, Canyon, Jerome and Twin Falls Counties must submit a Certificate of Residency to receive county support. The figures quoted on this page do not include books, supplies, personal expenses or transportation.

Contact the Dual Credit Office for more information or an advising appointment.

• North Idaho College offers many challenging classes, all taught at a faster pace than high school classes.
• NIC classes typically cover as much material in one semester as most high school classes cover in one year.
• Often, classes require up to two hours of out-of-class study, per course credit, per week.
• All Dual Credit grades become part of your permanent college transcript.
• Your student is also responsible for completing all high school graduation requirements.
• Your student will have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree and high school diploma at the same time.
• Generally, the college credits your student earns will transfer to all other Idaho state public colleges and universities, according to the guidelines of those institutions. To be sure the courses you take will transfer, work with your advisor at NIC and the next institution you plan to attend.

Idaho State Department of Education - Office of Advanced Opportunities
The Fast Forward program provides every student attending an Idaho public school an allocation of $4,625.00 to use towards Advanced Opportunities in grades 7-12. The program was expanded by the Legislature in 2016 through the passing of House Bill 458. The fund can be used for:

Dual Credits 
Dual credits are courses taken by high school students that are transcribed on their high school and college transcripts. Through dual credit, students enroll in NIC college-level classes at a significantly reduced tuition rate.

The Advanced Opportunities program can pay the cost of $75.00/credit. However, students are responsible for the cost of lab and other fees, books, supplies, non-course related fees, and transportation to and from college. These fees can be paid through your student’s MyNIC account (Student Menu, Student Accounts, View Account and Make Payments). Traditional federal financial aid is not available for dual credit students.

NIC also requires parking permits for parking on campus. Parking permits for the academic year are available for purchase online only. Please review Parking Rules and Regulations at www.nic.edu/parking before parking on campus.

• All parking passes are available online only.
• There is a $1.00 convenience fee for permit purchases.
• Permits are mailed in 1-3 business days to the mailing address you provide, meaning it could take several days to get to you. Please plan accordingly.
• For more information visit www.nic.edu/parking

Dual Credit courses can be taken face-to-face, online (internet), by virtual conferencing, or in some high schools. 

Exams 
Students can utilize Advanced Opportunities funds to pay for a variety of college-credit bearing or professional technical exams. These include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or Career Technical Education (CTE) exams. 

Overload Courses 
An overload course is a high school level course that is taken in excess of the student’s regular school day. These courses are offered online, during the summertime, and after school. In the event that student incurs a cost for such courses, the Advanced Opportunities program can pay up to $225.00 for the cost of the course. Overload courses must be above and beyond the full course load offered by the student’s local school.

Parents can save hundreds of dollars in tuition by their students moving ahead with completing high school requirements early and when your student is 16 years old, by starting college early through dual credit!

An Advanced Opportunities Participation Form allows students to participate in the Advanced Opportunities program through the Idaho State Department of Education as authorized by Idaho Code 33, Chapter 46: Advanced Opportunities. By signing this form, the student and parent/guardian agree to the conditions and provisions of the program. The participation form needs to be signed and sent to your participating high school counselor and will be retained by the student’s school district.

The Idaho State Department of Education Advanced Opportunities website link: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/student-engagement/advanced-ops/index.html
Portal registration instructions are as follows:
Registration is a two-part process.
Step 1: The student must create an account with the State Department of Education.

• Go to www.sde.idaho.gov/sectr/adv-opp/
• Choose “Apply for Advanced Opportunities” (blue button in the middle of the page)
• Select “Create an Account” in the top right corner
• Fill in all the information (if you don’t know your EDUID, leave it blank)
• Choose “Enroll New Student” to submit
• Verify the account, using the confirmation email sent to the student. (Sometimes these go to student spam folders. If they aren’t received instantly, there is a problem.)

From here, your school will verify your account. Once this is done, you may sign up for funding.

Step 2: Sign up for course or exam funding, once you know the account is active.

• Go to https://advancedops.sde.idaho.gov and login
• Choose “Student Landing” in the top left corner
• Apply for funding
• Choose Exam or Course
• Register the information for that course/exam
• Most courses or exams are available in a drop down menu. If you don’t see your course or exam, contact your counselor. He or she may need to enter the course for you.
• Choose Advanced Opportunities
• Submit your registration

Click on Admission Steps on either the Dual Credit homepage or the Technical Dual Credit homepage.  For more information call the Office of Advanced Opportunities (Dual Credit and Career Technical Programs)

DCAF is short for Dual Credit Authorization Form. This form functions as an acknowledgement of support from parents/guardians and school counselors for a student to take college courses at North Idaho College. When a student applies to North Idaho College, a DCAF is electronically sent to their parents/legal guardians and their school counselor for signature. If and when the DCAF is signed by both parties, it is sent to NIC for processing. A high school student will not be admitted to NIC until this form is returned.

Occasionally, the email sending the DCAF ends up in junk folders or is accidentally deleted because it was mistaken for spam. If you are unable to find the DCAF in your email, please contact the Dual Credit Office for next steps.

• Dual Credit Authorization Form (DCAF) was not submitted or received.
• If a student applies to take classes but does not attend a semester, the student’s account goes dormant or inactive. The account must be re-activated before registration can occur.  To reactivate their account, the student must re-apply as a Dual Credit High School Student - www.NIC.edu/Apply.   It takes about 10 minutes.  Within a few days, a registration time will be generated.
• Placement Assessment scores may not satisfy requirements for class.
• Outstanding tuition or fees on Student Account from previous semester.
• Academic Probation or Suspension - Call our office (208) 625-2329!
• High School prerequisite class may overlap NIC class between semesters.
• If you have taken college classes other than NIC, NIC needs an official transcript from that college (not the high school) to verify the course and grade. You may need to do this if a prerequisite course is needed prior to registering for an NIC class.

Dual credit can open new and exciting frontiers in your student's academic, social, and personal life while they continue to participate in high school sports, music, clubs, or other extracurricular activities.

As a college student, your student is expected to conduct themselves as a responsible adult. This includes, but is not limited to, attending class, seeking academic help, and addressing any problems they may have directly with their instructors. It is also important for parents to realize that college classes may cover a wide variety of sensitive subjects, including sex, violence, and religion. Remember, dual credit is a college program.

North Idaho College is required by law to inform students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which involves keeping student records confidential. Without a student’s written permission, NIC will not share student records with anyone but the student and appropriate college and high school representatives. Students who wish to share information with their parents must complete a release form. Parents cannot contact instructors or advisors on a student's behalf. College instructors are not informed of a student's age or enrollment status. Further information is available from the Registrar’s Office at (208) 769-3320.

Contact our office for individual Dual Credit or Career Technical Education advising appointments (208) 625-2329.