Dual Enrollment Benefits and Early Graduation Options Set Teens Up for Success After High School

By: Sierra M., 11th grade student and SAC intern

I’m Sierra, a student who wanted to go after my goals on my own timeline. K12 allowed me to do that through dual enrollment and early graduation options—and now I’m starting ahead of the game and saving money on college.

Earning College Credits in High School and Other Dual Enrollment Benefits

Dual enrollment simply means taking courses that allow you to earn both college credit and high school credit for the same class. Sometimes it’s called dual credit or concurrent enrollment.

I remember my first conversation with the school counselor, which took place before I even transferred to my K12-powered school. They sent me a pamphlet full of dual credit courses that would be totally paid for by the school and taught just like my other classes. They were called ‘in-house’ dual credit courses and were taught by K12 teachers online.

There were also external dual credit courses taught at the partner college, sometimes in person and other times online, by professors. Since I was close to the local college, I took full advantage of the in-person options, which meant I got to use the college’s labs and other student resources on campus. My K12-powered high school fully paid for one of my college courses!

In addition to earning college credits while in high school, students taking dual credit also:

• Experience how college courses work
• Get introduced to college professors
• Interact with college students
• Gain access to other tools for college students
• Save money with reduced tuition through dual credit programs
• Jump-start their college timeline

Advancing at My Pace With Academic Acceleration

What did these dual credit opportunities provide me? Faster advancement. In spring 2025, I earned my general education associate’s degree and state core college certificate—while still in high school!

By earning college credits sooner, higher education became more affordable. I was able to enter college as a sophomore because my associate’s degree and certificate covered most of my general education pathways (you do have to double-check to make sure your dual enrollment credits transfer to your college of choice).

With one less year of college to worry about, I cut my tuition cost by 25%.

My School Offered Early Graduation Options

I truly made the most of my education with K12 because, in addition to earning my associate’s degree and certificate, I also graduated as a junior.

One of the biggest things I was looking for in an online high school was the ability to graduate early, as my brick-and-mortar school was adamant that it couldn’t happen. It was one of the first things I talked to the K12 counselor about when enrolling, and they provided me with several options to help me meet my goal.

I was ambitious and determined, I was ready for college, so I decided to graduate a full year early. The other option was a semester early if I wanted to take a break before college or if I wasn’t able to collect enough credits for the full year.

My biggest benefit of graduating early with K12 was the ability to choose how many classes to take and when. Many times, my previous school required me to take a certain number of classes during high school, but with K12, I could base my schedule on my needs and achievements. My last year, I had three classes because that was all I needed to graduate. It was freeing to choose classes based on what fit into my own education plan.

The Right Choice for My Future

After all these experiences, I’m confident I made the right choice with a K12-powered online high school. Taking dual credit courses and graduating early made my future easier to navigate, with increased affordability and a step up from my peers in my future path.

With K12, I got to personalize my education according to my goals without having to meet set rules for the whole grade or fit myself into the standard box. I’d make the same decision again and again, using the opportunities handed to me by my school.

Find out how you can personalize your high school education with dual credit and accelerated learning at a K12-powered school in your state.

Sierra is a 2025 student at a K12-powered school in IN, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.