Dual Credit Handbook

Published or Revised April 25, 2025

ACCREDITATION

Paris Junior College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Paris Junior College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website www.sacscoc.org.

PARIS JUNIOR COLLEGE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COLLEGE

Paris Junior College prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against any student on the basis of sex or gender, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Dual Credit at PJC

High School students have the opportunity to earn both college credit from Paris Junior College and high school credit through courses taught on the high school campus, the college campus, or online. These courses are called dual credit courses and are taught by qualified instructors. Completing dual credit courses provides advantages to high school students, allowing them to become more prepared for college, expediting graduation with a degree, and saving money.

Dual credit courses require enrollment and payment with PJC. A PJC dual credit representative will work with the high school counselor to help students submit the necessary paperwork. All dual credit students have access to services provided by PJC.

Checklist for New Students to Dual Credit

• Admissions Application
• Counselor Letter
• Official High School Transcript
• TSIA2 Placement Scores
• Enrollment Form
• Online courses, please review Distance Learning at PJC

High school students taking PJC courses for dual credit, even during the daytime in their own school, will be treated as college students and in return, high school students will be expected to behave as college students. A collegiate classroom environment is expected.

Eligibility

Students enrolling in dual credit courses must meet the minimum scores on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) placement test or be exempt from testing via ACT, SAT, or other alternative test scores as approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

For minimum placement scores on each of these tests, go to https://www.parisjc.edu/main/high-school-dual/ or contact the PJC High School Dual Credit representative or the high school counselor.

The TSIA2 placement test is offered on each of the PJC campus locations. There is a $25 fee to take the TSIA2 and a photo ID is required.

PJC Grades

PJC courses offered as dual credit, regardless of where they are taught, follow the same college calendar, syllabus requirements, course outline, grading procedure, and other instructional and evaluative policies and procedures. Letter grades are given in accordance with policies printed in the college catalog. Numerical grades are also provided.

ISD employees and parents shall not influence the grading policies, grading procedures, or other instructional policies of PJC faculty who teach college courses as dual credit.

Grades for the dual credit courses will appear on both the high school transcript and the PJC college transcript. PJC grades are not mailed and students can view their grades in their MyPJC portal on the PJC website, www.parisjc.edu. These courses/grades will be part of a student’s permanent college record, therefore, students should take these courses seriously.

Student Degree Plan

Senate Bill 25 requires that a student enrolled in a course for both high school and junior college credit under Texas Education Code, Section 130.008, at a public junior college must file a degree plan with the college. Students will be asked about the major they plan to pursue and a degree plan will be created.

Students can consult with a dual credit specialist at the college if they need assistance in selecting the proper major. Students should take dual credit courses that are consistent with the major they plan to pursue after high school graduation.

Questions about courses on a degree plan should be directed to counseling@parisjc.edu. Be sure to state you are a dual credit student.

Course Transferability

PJC is a fully accredited institution and basic academic, general education courses are readily transferable to other public institutions of higher education in Texas. However, since each college has its own policy regarding the transferability of courses, students are strongly advised to check with the college they plan to attend after high school, if other than PJC, to determine the transferability. Students can also check lower-division course compatibility at www.tccns.org.

DragonMail

All PJC students have a dedicated email address that serves as a primary method of contact between students and various PJC administrative offices. All PJC students are encouraged to log into their new email account as soon as possible to activate it. For more information on how to access DragonMail go to https://www.parisjc.edu/main/activate-dragonmail/.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are “eligible students.” Dual credit students are considered to be “attending a school beyond the high school level.” The parent may have rights with the student’s high school course(s), but not with the higher education course(s).

Instructors and student service staff are not permitted to speak to the parent about the student’s records or assignments, unless the student gives direct permission to the parent. This can be done through the student’s MyPJC account:

1. Log-in to MyPJC account at www.parisjc.edu
2. Click on the “Student” tab
3. Scroll to the bottom to see “Setting FERPA Permissions”
4. Click the “Define New Permissions” link
5. Fill the form out; make sure to click the “Next Page” button
6. Click “Submit Permissions Form” at the bottom to complete your request

ADA Information

Post-secondary institutions must provide reasonable accommodations to allow students an equal opportunity (equal access) to participate in courses. Colleges and universities do not have to provide accommodations that would “fundamentally alter” or modify the educational program or academic requirements essential to the program of study.

A student needs to:

• Self-identify as a person with a disability
• Schedule an appointment to see a Paris Junior College Disabilities Student Success Coach prior to Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) testing and the beginning of each dual credit course
• Bring documentation of disability to the initial appointment with a PJC Disabilities Student Success Coach
• Be prepared to discuss their disability, accommodations received in high school, and how the disability affects individual learning. Documentation and/or IEP will be reviewed to determine reasonable accommodations. It is important to note that accommodations for college dual credit courses may differ from high school accommodations/modifications provided for high school courses. Accommodations are not retroactive.

For more information regarding the ADA / Section 504 policies:

Student Success Coach / ADA (Section 504) Coordinator
Ansley Hoskins
Telephone: 903-782-0281
Email: ahoskins@parisjc.edu

Cost for Dual Credit Courses

Dual Credit courses are offered at a reduced tuition and fee rate of $25 (effective Fall 2025) for in-district (Lamar County) students or $30 (effective 2025) for out-of-district students per semester credit hour (or equivalent).

The FAST program allows eligible students to take dual credit courses at no cost to the student. Students are eligible for the FAST program if they:

• Are enrolled in an eligible dual credit course through a public school district or charter school (i.e., eligible for Foundation School Program funding)
• Are taking a course offered through an institutional agreement from an institution of higher education that has opted to participate in FAST; and
• Were qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in any of the four school years prior to the academic year in which they are enrolled in the dual credit course.

Students are limited to three dual credit courses per semester. If a student is TSI complete in ALL areas (reading, writing, and math), a fourth dual credit course may be added. Any additional courses will be charged the regular tuition rate.

Textbooks are a separate expense from the cost of the courses.

Payment for Dual Credit Courses

Tuition and fees are due upon registration each semester and payment plans are available. If payment is not received by the college’s Official Reporting Date (ORD) each semester, students will be dropped from their PJC courses.

To pay online or set up a payment plan:

1. Log-in to MyPJC account at www.parisjc.edu
2. Click on the “Student” tab
3. Select “My Account Info” from the left navigation bar
4. Step 1: Click Here to Calculate your Balance
5. Step 2: Select the term you wish to make payment on
6. Step 3: Select one of the following options:
   • Click here to enroll in an online payment plan
   • Click here to make your payment in full

Invoices for all courses are available on the student’s MyPJC portal once they are registered. Please review the invoice closely; some balances that are due may not include all scholarships that may be applied. Reminders are sent automatically of balances owed via phone calls, emails, and texts. A student must register each semester and pay each semester for their dual credit courses.

Academic Support Resources

Tutoring

• Online tutoring with Tutor.com (link found inside Blackboard for each course).
• Face-to-face tutors may be available on the PJC campus. Contact tutor@parisjc.edu for availability.

Writing Center

• Located on the Paris campus (AD 125).
• Email writingcenter@parisjc.edu to submit an essay for review or for hours of operation.

Library

• Visit www.parisjc.edu/main/learning-center for information on PJC’s Library services.

How to Withdraw from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course after the Official Reporting Date (ORD) and up until the withdrawal deadline. This will result in the student receiving a grade of “W.” It is the student’s responsibility to initiate his/her drop through their MyPJC portal under the Student Tab.

Contact Information

Refer to the following documents for student policies:

• PJC Website: www.parisjc.edu
• PJC Catalog: www.parisjc.edu/catalog
• PJC Student Handbook: Download Handbook