Articulated College Credit

WHY explore opportunities through Articulated College Credit (ACC)?

Articulated College Credit (ACC) means:

Earn Technical or Community college credits (Articulated College Credit - ACC) in grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Stay in your own high school with your friends and the teachers you already know
Explore career opportunities through high school courses
Complete your college program sooner, saving time and money

HOW do I Earn Articulated College Credit (ACC)?

Click here and see what Articulated College Credit classes your high school is currently offering.
If these classes fit your interests and career goals, or if you want to explore the career field, choose one of these classes at your high school.
Ask your teacher how you can earn ACC.

WHAT do I do with Articulated College Credit?

Download your ACC record at any time after you have completed your high school ACC course.
Bring the ACC record to one of the colleges listed and enroll in a career program or major that accepts those credits.

WHERE can I use the credit?

ACC is NOT transcripted at the college until you have enrolled and taken a course at that college.
Bring your printed ACC record when registering at a college listed on your ACC Record to receive the credit(s) earned. ACC requires that you enroll and complete a college course at that college in order for the ACC to be added to your college transcript. Other colleges MAY honor the credits.
You must always check with the college or university of your choice for specific criteria in a program or major — not all credits will be accepted into all programs or majors.

WHO is part of CTEcreditMN — is my high school involved?

There are many Career and Technical Consortia across Minnesota. A consortium is a group of high schools and colleges who work together to provide students a link from high school to college. Visit the Schools/Courses page to see which high schools offer ACC.

High School College Credit Options
Comparison Table

Frequently Asked Questions	Articulated College Credit(ACC) through Perkins	Postsecondary Enrollment Option (PSEO)	Concurrent Enrollment (CE)	Advanced Placement (AP)	International Baccalaureate (IB)
What are these initiatives about?	Perkins is a federally funded program within the Carl D Perkins Act administered by the state. It is intended to provide entry level career and technical courses to high school students and create a bridge between secondary (High School) and postsecondary (College).	PSEO is a state program intended to offer eligible high school students more challenging academic coursework if they have met the requirements at their high school.	Concurrent Enrollment allows juniors and seniors to take free college-level courses at their high school through partnerships between high schools and local colleges and universities. Common names for concurrent enrollment include College in the Schools, CEP, and College Now, in addition to others.	This initiative is a program run by the College Board, the same organization that designs and administers the SAT	Founded and maintained by International Baccalaureate. Schools must be an IB school to participate.
Who is eligible to take these courses?	High School Grades 9, 10, 11, 12 (Each agreement has various grade qualifiers)	10th grade high school students must have passed the 8th grade reading MCA or equivalent test; additional 10th- 12th grade entrance requirements may be set by college/university 10th graders may begin by taking one career/technical education course. If they earn a "C" or better, they can take additional courses For 11th and 12th grade: Regular post-secondary courses taught on the college campus or online.	Varies by high school; legislation allows 9th-12th grade participation, subject to qualifications set by high school and college/university	Varies; some high schools may enroll students beginning in 9th grade	Varies; some high schools may enroll students beginning in 9th grade
Who teaches the courses and where are they taught?	High School teacher at the high school	College Instructor at the college or online.	Career & Technical High School teachers teach the courses and must be credentialed in the postsecondary system. Concurrent Enrollment is not offered at all high schools.	Taught at some high schools by a qualified teacher	Taught at an IB-authorized high school by a qualified HS instructor.
Are there specific criteria to be met by the high school?	The High School teacher must renew articulation status annually or biennially through a curriculum review between the college and high school. A signature or electronic signature process is used. An articulation agreement is a formal agreement between two or more educational entities to accept credits in transfer toward a specific academic program.	College Course - no high school responsibility	The High School must maintain the college rigor and meet all college outcomes for the course.	Determined by the district	Determined by IB processes
What is a mentor and what do they do?	Formal meetings are held at least every two years. College & High School instructors encourage one another and voluntarily work together.	N/A	A mentor is a college instructor who supports the high school teacher, ensuring college rigor and course outcomes are being met.	N/A	N/A
What are the admission requirements?	There are no admission requirements. The high school teacher makes the option available to students.	Evidence of ability to perform college-level work as defined by the college ACCUPLACER "Ability to Benefit" scores HS student must submit a Community, Technical or 4-year College Application form and a copy of their high school transcript	A high school student works with their high school guidance counselor HS students fill out a college application. The student registers on-line for each semester of college course work Accuplacer (college placement test) is required	High schools determine eligibility	High schools determine eligibility
What is the financial obligation of the student?	Student pays no tuition	No cost to student for tuition, books and fees	Student pays no tuition (cost of text is at the high school discretion) Any fee charged to the student to off-set costs is at the discretion of the high school	Student usually pays to take the AP test	No cost to the student
What is the financial obligation of the high school?	There is no financial obligation except for ensuring instructors are attending the articulation meeting and that a substitute teacher is available for them.	The MN General Education Revenue is reduced. The amount of reduction is based on the percent of time the student spends away from their high school	High School pays a negotiated fee to the college per course per semester per classroom (majority of students must be taking the class for college credit) MN General Education Revenue stays with the district (but may be used to cover the negotiated costs for course offering)	Determined by the district and AP	Determined by the district and IB
How is college credit generated?	Student earns a transfer credit - converted when they enroll and complete one semester of college in the corresponding CTE pathway	Student credits are recorded on their college transcript	Student credits are recorded on their college transcript	College credit may be awarded based on AP exam scores. Colleges & universities typically give credit for scores of 3-5; some give credit only for scores of 4 or 5; some colleges don’t award credit for some or all AP exams	Students earn high school credit and grade based on their performance in the course College credit may be awarded based on IB exam scores after student enrolls in college Colleges & universities generally give credit for scores of 5-7; some grant credit for scores below 5; some may not grant credit
How are the courses assessed?	Assessment is determined cooperatively and reviewed annually or biennially (e.g. B or better in the course + complete skills checklist / pass college course exam / oral presentation review by college faculty)	Assessment is as determined by the college instructor	Assessment is the same as the corresponding college course delivered on campus	Students earn high school credit and grade based on their performance in the course. National AP exams in May.	Standardized exams given at the end of each course
What are the benefit(s)?	All CTE students in ACC Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses are eligible to earn ACC Students who may not qualify for PSEO or CE have the opportunity earn Technical or Community college credits If you do not earn the ACC, your college GPA will NOT be affected Stay in your own high school with your friends and the teachers you already know Explore career opportunities through high school courses Complete your college program sooner, save time and money Choose a specific Technical or Community College career program or a major that may lead to transfer options to a university	Students earn college transcripted credits College grade becomes part of student college GPA Students can learn on the college campus Complete your college program sooner, save time and money Exposure to high expectations Participation in challenging courses. Momentum gained by earning college credits while still in high school	College grade becomes part of student college GPA College grade becomes part of the student college GPA Students earn college transcripted credits College grade becomes part of student college GPA Complete your college program sooner, save time and money Stay in your own high school with your friends and the teachers you already know Exposure to college expectations Participation in challenging courses Momentum gained by earning college credits while still in high school	Stay in your own high school with your friends and the teachers you already know Exposure to high expectations Participation in challenging courses	Stay in your own high school with your friends and the teachers you already know Exposure to high expectations Participation in challenging courses
What are the barriers?	ACC credits are NOT directly transcripted to the college Students must bring their ACC record to a college listed on the record	College credits are transcripted no matter the grade in the college course Students may not be ready for college campus demands & independence School districts pay the colleges Students must have a certain GPA to qualify Students must be in a higher ranking in their high school graduating class Students must be on track to graduate from high school	College credits are transcripted no matter the grade in the college course. Fees apply for the school district Students must have a certain GPA to qualify Students must be in a higher ranking in their high school graduating class	College credits are NOT transcripted AP college entrance scores vary by college	IB is designed to help students gain admission to universities and careers of their choice, support the smooth transition to university.