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Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services

Dual Enrollment Programs

Dual enrollment programs enable high school students to earn college credit while building the knowledge and skills needed for college and career aspirations. Additionally, these programs can save students time and money in college and positively impact student outcomes, such as high school graduation and college enrollment, success, and completion.

Education Law §319 outlines partnership agreement and data reporting requirements for dual enrollment programs and provides the following definition of a dual enrollment program in New York State:

  • Dual Enrollment Program. Any program that is a partnership between at least one school district, charter school, or BOCES and at least one institution of higher education that provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college courses and earn transferable college credit from the institution or institutions while completing high school graduation and diploma requirements.

In response to the law, partnership agreement and data reporting requirements for dual enrollment programs that meet the above definition include:

  • Partnership Agreement. On or before September 1, 2026, school districts, charter schools, and BOCES (P-12 partners) that have a dual enrollment program in place at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year must submit a partnership agreement on a form developed by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). A December 2025 memo to the field provides an overview of this requirement.
    • Form. The “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” is available through the SEDMON application in the NYSED Business Portal. A Word version of the partnership agreement form and certification form (signature page) are available as a preview. The signed certification form(s) will be uploaded into the portal as part of the partnership agreement form.
    • Completing the form. The P-12 partner will complete and submit the partnership agreement form in the NYSED Business Portal. Please see the instructions to access the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” through the SEDMON application and instructions to complete the form. School district Superintendents/CEOs, charter school CEOs, and BOCES District Superintendents can complete the form or designate an appropriate individual to do this by granting them access to the SEDMON application.
    • Collaborative effort.  Both the P-12 and higher education (institution of higher education) partners must collaborate on the completion of the partnership agreement form. All partners, including any other entities (e.g., businesses, community-based organizations), that have a role in the dual enrollment program must sign the certification form (please see the “Form” section above).
    • Updating the form. The partnership agreement form must be updated and resubmitted to NYSED every five years. Partnership agreement forms submitted by September 1, 2026 would cover the five school years from 2026-2031.
       
  • Data Reporting. All P-12 partners and higher education partners must annually submit specified data to NYSED regarding participation in and outcomes of their dual enrollment program. The data will be published on the NYSED website by January 1st of the subsequent school year. The data collection will begin in the 2026-2027 school year. The specific data points in the collection will be listed on this webpage in early 2026.

The following FAQs provide detailed answers to questions about dual enrollment programs and the partnership agreement form. Questions on these topics can also be sent to the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success (OPASS) at DE.NYS@nysed.gov.

Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ

1. When are college course opportunities for high school students considered “dual enrollment programs” in New York State?

According to Education Law §319, a dual enrollment program is:

  • Any program that is a partnership between at least one school district, charter school, or BOCES and at least one institution of higher education that provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college courses and earn transferable college credit from the institution or institutions while completing high school graduation and diploma requirements.

Based on the definition, dual enrollment programs are opportunities where high school students can enroll in one or more college courses. In these courses, the instructors are high school teachers who are approved by the higher education partner to teach the college courses or a college instructor employed by the higher education partner (e.g., faculty member, adjunct). Additionally, high school students earn college credit immediately upon successfully completing a course in a dual enrollment program.

The design of dual enrollment programs can vary greatly. For example, some dual enrollment programs may have structured pathways, programs of study, or intentionally offered college courses, consistent with research on best practices. Other dual enrollment programs may allow students to choose college courses from a college course catalog with minimal guidance from the school.

2. Are Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs considered dual enrollment programs?

No. High school students are not enrolled in college courses in those programs, which is a requirement in the definition of dual enrollment programs (please see Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ #1). They are taking high school courses instead of college courses. Therefore, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do not apply to those programs. 

3. Some school districts, charter schools, or BOCES have an articulation agreement with an institution of higher education where students are able to earn college credit for high school courses only if they matriculate to the institution after high school (e.g., advanced standing, college credit for prior learning). Are these arrangements dual enrollment programs?

No. In this particular arrangement, high school students are not enrolled in college courses (e.g., courses are not taught by high school teachers who are approved by the higher education partner to teach the courses or by a college instructor employed by the higher education partner), which is a requirement in the definition of dual enrollment programs (please see Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ #1). Additionally, they do not earn college credit immediately upon successfully completing a course. The students are taking high school courses instead of college courses. Therefore, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do not apply to this type of articulation agreement. 

Please note that some dual enrollment programs do have articulation agreements where high school students are enrolled in college courses as part of the arrangement, consistent with the definition of a dual enrollment program. In those cases, the partnership agreement and data reporting requirements do apply.

4. With which types of institutions of higher education can school districts, charter schools, and BOCES partner in a dual enrollment program?

According to a proposed regulation that establishes a statewide dual enrollment policy, school districts, charter schools, and BOCES can partner with the following types of institutions of higher education. It is anticipated that the proposed regulation will be adopted at the January 2026 Board of Regents meeting and be effective January 28, 2026.

  • Accredited New York State institutions of higher education that are registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED), including CUNY, SUNY, independent, and proprietary institutions;
  • Accredited out-of-state institutions of higher education that have permission to operate with a physical presence in New York State;
  • Out-of-state institutions of higher education authorized to offer distance education in New York State (e.g., a college that is approved by its home state to participate in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)); or
  • Other degree-granting institutions accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized for this purpose by the United States Department of Education that are acceptable to NYSED (e.g., a college in a bordering state where New York State high school students take college courses on the out-of-state college campus).

Out-of-state institutions of higher education must have permission to operate in New York State if they would like to have their college courses taught in a New York State classroom by a high school teacher who is approved by the institution. Questions about the authorization of out-of-state institutions of higher education to operate in New York State can be sent to IHEAuthorize@nysed.gov.

5. Can students take college courses for high school credit and/or college credit in a dual enrollment program?

Yes. Students in dual enrollment programs typically take college courses for both high school credit and college credit. However, they could take courses for college credit only (e.g., students who have already met graduation requirements) or high school credit only (e.g., students who seek advanced coursework but do not want to pay for college credit, if costs are associated with it). 

Partnership Agreement FAQ

1. How would school districts, charter schools, or BOCES determine if they need to complete the partnership agreement form?

They would need to complete the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” in the NYSED Business Portal if they offer a program that meets the definition of a dual enrollment program (please see Dual Enrollment Programs FAQ #1). Dual enrollment programs that do not receive state funding as well as programs that receive state funding (e.g., New York State P-TECH, Smart Scholars Early College High School) must complete the partnership agreement form. The partnership agreement form must be updated and resubmitted to NYSED every five years. 

Dual Enrollment Programs FAQs #2-3 show examples of programs that are not dual enrollment programs because the students do not enroll in college courses, as required by the definition of a dual enrollment program. In those cases, the school district, charter school, or BOCES do not need to complete the partnership agreement form. 

Individuals can contact the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success at DE.NYS@nysed.gov if they are not sure if their organization is offering a program that meets the definition of a dual enrollment program or if it need to complete the partnership agreement form.

2. What is the purpose and format of the partnership agreement form?

Based on Education Law §319, the partnership agreement between the P-12 and higher education partners must establish the scope and terms of the dual enrollment program and be submitted on a form developed by NYSED. The partnership agreement form provides NYSED with an opportunity to learn about dual enrollment programs across the state, including innovative models that positively impact student outcomes. NYSED can also use the information on the form to identify the types of technical assistance and resources that could support these programs.

Both the P-12 and higher education partners must collaborate on the completion of the partnership agreement form. Additionally, dual enrollment programs need to submit an updated partnership agreement form to NYSED every five years. These requirements help ensure that the partners are continually collaborating and improving their dual enrollment programs.

The partnership agreement form is designed to be user-friendly with primarily multiple-choice questions. The form requests information about different aspects of the program, including a description of the program, such as the courses offered, instructor types, costs, credit transferability, modality, and wrap-around services; collaboration between the partners, such as how they collaborate to advance the success of students and engage in continual improvement; and protocol for collecting, sharing, and reporting data.

3. By what date does a school district, charter school, or BOCES need to complete the partnership agreement form?

By September 1, 2026, all school districts, charter schools, and BOCES (P-12 partners) that offer a dual enrollment program must submit the partnership agreement form through the SEDMON application in the NYSED Business Portal for all dual enrollment programs in place for the 2026-2027 school year. The partnership agreement form must be updated and resubmitted to NYSED every five years. 

4. Who can complete the partnership agreement form in the NYSED Business Portal?

Only school districts, charter schools, and BOCES (P-12 partners) have access to the NYSED Business Portal. Therefore, school district Superintendents/CEOs, charter school CEOs, and BOCES District Superintendents have access to the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” in the SEDMON application of the portal. They can complete the form or designate an appropriate individual to do this by granting them access to the SEDMON application. However, the school district Superintendents/CEOs, charter school CEOs, and BOCES District Superintendents are the only individuals who can submit the form in the NYSED Business portal.

Both the P-12 and higher education partners must collaborate on the completion of the partnership agreement form. All partners, including any other entities (e.g., businesses, community-based organizations) that have a role in the dual enrollment program, must sign the certification form as part of the partnership agreement form. The certification form (signature page) can also be found in the “Supporting Documents” menu within the SEDMON application.

5. How do I access and complete the partnership agreement form in the NYSED Business Portal?

Please see the instructions to access the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” through the SEDMON application in the NYSED Business Portal and instructions to complete the form. These documents can also be found in the “Supporting Documents” menu within the SEDMON application.

For those with access the NYSED Business Portal, click on the “SED Monitoring and Vendor System” link and select the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form Survey.” If you have multiple surveys in SEDMON, the survey will be located in the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success (OPASS) section. Questions about accessing the partnership agreement form can be sent to OPASS at DE.NYS@nysed.gov.

6. Can school districts, charter schools, and BOCES submit a partnership agreement or memorandum of understanding that was developed between the P-12 and higher education partners instead of the partnership agreement form in the NYSED Business Portal?

No. The partnership agreement form developed by NYSED is required by law and includes questions that provide the Department with important information about dual enrollment programs across the state (please see Partnership Agreement FAQ #2). P-12 and higher education partners are welcome to have an additional partnership agreement or memorandum of understanding that is specific to their dual enrollment program.

7. Dual enrollment programs need to submit an updated partnership agreement form to NYSED every five years. If the program makes changes during the five-year time period, does the program need to submit an updated partnership agreement before the end of the period?

No. Any changes in the dual enrollment program would be reflected in the updated partnership agreement form that will be submitted at the end of the five-year time period. Partnership agreement forms completed by September 1, 2026 would cover the five school years from 2026-2031.

8. If multiple P-12 partners (e.g., two school districts, a BOCES and a school district) are involved in a single dual enrollment program, would only one partnership agreement form be completed and submitted?

Yes. If a dual enrollment program is a partnership with more than one P-12 partner, only one organization would complete and submit the “Dual Enrollment Partnership Agreement Form” through the SEDMON application in the NYSED Business Portal to ensure that the program is not described on multiple forms. The organizations would decide which one would complete the form.

9. If a P-12 partner is working with multiple higher education partners, would it complete one or multiple partnership agreement forms?

It depends. If a P-12 partner is working with multiple higher education partners, dual enrollment programs that have the same or similar design across one or more higher education partners are considered “one program” for the purposes of the partnership agreement form. “Same or similar design” could include, but is not limited to, same goals, types of courses offered, format, or branding.

  • For example, if School District A has a single dual enrollment program where students take courses at three partnering institutions of higher education (IHEs) with the same design, it would complete one partnership agreement form in collaboration with the three IHEs.

  • On the other hand, if School District B has one type of dual enrollment program with one IHE and a different type of dual enrollment program with a second IHE (e.g., different design), it would complete two partnership agreement forms for the two different programs.

  • Individuals can contact the Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success (OPASS) at DE.NYS@nysed.gov if they are not sure if their school district, charter school, or BOCES should complete more than one partnership agreement form.