Early College Credit Program

placeholder

Learn about our Early College Credit program.

Initial Process for Early College Credit Program (ECCP)

  1. Student meets with high school counselor and discusses coursework and schedule to make determinations about whether or not the ECCP program fits the students needs.
    1. Click here for a current listing of comparable courses that the district has maintained. This list is not comprehensive and is updated regularly based on any changes in curriculum or regulations. This list is not a guarantee that the IHE is offering the course(s) and approval/denial status is subject to change.
    2. Click here for our current Course Description Guide to review all courses offered by RUSD for comparison.
  2. During the application window, student does the following:
    1. Required: Completes the ECCP application and submits the document to the high school counselor.
        - ECCP Application (UW-System) - Example: UW-Parkside, UW-Milwaukee
        - ECCP Application (Private, Non-Profit Colleges/Universities) - Example: Carthage, MSOE
    2. Required: Completes the ECCP Student Terms and Agreements and indicates parent e-mail address.
    3. Required:Parent must complete the ECCP Parent Terms and Agreements.
  3. After the deadline for application (review “Important Dates” for more information), the district will review all required documents and make a determination on the approval/denial of requested courses based on the comparability with any district courses. This determination will undergo Board approval.
  4. The district will inform the student/parent of which requested courses were approved or denied by the deadline (review “Important Dates” for more information).
  5. If a course was denied and the student/parent wishes to dispute the decision made by the district, they must follow the appeal process within 30 days of the dated letter sent listing approvals/denials. If the student disagrees with the school board's decision regarding comparability of courses or satisfaction of high school graduation requirements, the student may appeal the school board's decision to the state superintendent within 30 days after the decision (review "Appeal Considerations" for more information.
  6. If the student elects to move forward with the program, student completes the application process with the IHE of choice. The process will vary widely based on the college of choice. Click HERE for more information about the process at each UW school.

Final Process for Early College Credit Program (ECCP)

  1. Student completes course.
  2. Student returns all books/non-consumable materials purchased using district funds to Administrative Services Center (ASC/Central Office) at 3109 Mt. Pleasant St. Racine, WI 53404.
  3. IHE sends transcript of completion to school.
  4. School records progress and forwards transcripts to the student by way of the high school.
        1. If it is determined that a course was not completed (dropped, withdrawn, failed), student/parent are billed for charges related to that course (tuition/books/fees) that were charged to the District.
Eligible Students
  • Students attending Wisconsin public and private schools.
  • Students in good academic standing.
  • Students with an acceptable disciplinary record.

Wis. Stat. § 118.55(2)(a)

Eligible Grade Levels 9 - 12
Wis. Stat. § 118.55(2)(a)
Eligible Institutions Collectively referred to as “Institutions of Higher Education” (IHE) Includes UW System institutions, tribally controlled colleges, and private, nonprofit institutions of higher education.
Wis. Stat. § 118.55(1)(bm)
Eligible Semesters Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Wis. Stat. § 118.55(2)(a)
College/Course Credit Limitation

18 college credits total for the program and a maximum of 15 semester credit hours can be taken in a given semester. UW System institutions must notify student of whether credits earned are transferable between and within institutions.

Wis. Stat. §§ 118.55(3)(c) and (7t)(a)

Application

Semester prior to starting ECCP:

  • Student must follow RUSD application process below under "Initial Process".
  • Student must submit an application to the IHE
  • The student must notify the school board or the governing body of the private school of the student’s intent to enroll in an IHE.
  • Students must work with their high school counselor to ensure their high school schedule is not compromised.
  • Application is required each term/semester a student wishes to apply.

See Important Dates section for notification dates.

Important Dates (Application/Notification)
  • Students must notify district of intent to enroll in Early College Credit Program courses by  February 1 (for summer courses), March 1 (for fall courses), October 1 (for spring courses), and Wis. Stat. § 118.55(3)(a)
  • No changes on application are permitted after deadline.
  • District must notify student of approval and/or rejection of desired courses before the beginning of the semester in which the pupil will be enrolled. Wis. Stat. § 118.55(3)(b)
  • District will notify students of decision within 30 days from the application deadline.

IHE Method of Selecting Applicants

An IHE must admit a student if there is space available and the student meets the requirements and prerequisites of the course. Wis. Stat. § 118.55(4)(a)1. and 2.  
District Denial of High School Credit for ECCP Course
  • Doesn’t satisfy a high school graduation requirement
  • District offers comparable course (80% content.
  • Repeats the post-secondary course content for which a student has already taken and/or failed.

Wis Stat. § 118.55(3)(b)

Appeal Considerations
  • Meets graduation requirements
  • District does not offer comparable course
  • Filed within 30 days of receiving decision
  • Click here for DPI website and instructions for filing an appeal.

Wis. Stat. § 118.55(3)(b)

Cost of Course (Who Pays?)

High School Credit Only OR High School AND Postsecondary Credit

  • School District – 75% if the District does not offer a comparable course
  • State – 25% (The DPI shall reimburse the school board of the school district the amount received from the department of workforce development under this section)
  • Pupil – 0%

Postsecondary Credit Only If the District does not offer a comparable course

  • School District - 25%
  • State – 50% (The DPI shall reimburse the school board of the school district the amount received from the department of workforce development under this section)
  • Pupil – 25% (the school board/private school must waive and pay the pupil's share of the tuition charge if it is determined that it would pose an undue financial burden to the student and their family, as determined by DPI administrative rule.)

Notes: IHE cost-sharing through limit on allowable tuition charge High School Credit Only · For WTCS and UW-System, actual cost of tuition, fees, books, and other necessary materials directly related to the course. · For private, nonprofit colleges, lesser of the actual cost of tuition fees, books, and other materials directly related to the course or an amount determined according to statutory formula. 4 The tuition charged for each credit assigned to the course may not exceed the following: For an institution within the UW System or a tribally controlled college (other than UW college campus), cost is 1/3 of the amount that would be charged for each credit assigned to the course to an individual who is a Wisconsin resident and who is enrolled as an undergraduate student. For a UW college campus(two-year campus), cost is 1/2 of the amount that would be charged for each credit assigned to the course to an individual who is a Wisconsin resident and who is enrolled as an undergraduate student. For a private, nonprofit institution of higher education, cost is 1/3 of the amount that would be charged for each credit assigned to a similar course offered by the UW-Madison to an individual who is a Wisconsin resident and is enrolled at the UW-Madison as an undergraduate student.
Wis. Stat. § 118.55(5)(a)-(e)

Transportation

Student/parent responsible for any transportation costs for attending course(s) Note: funding is available to assist in transportation costs for families in need.

Click here to access the Transportation Reimbursement Claim form.  

Submit this completed form and a copy of the PI-8700-A within 30 days of the end of the college semester for which the claim is being filed to:

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Federal Aids and Audits Section
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841

Wis. Stat. § 118.55(7g)

News & Updates

RUSD Parent Univesity will be hosting a VIRTUAL session for Special Education on Tuesday March 19,…
Several shovels will be hitting the dirt this spring with FIVE groundbreaking ceremonies for new…
Students in RUSD Extended Learning's Teen Outreach Program (TOP) at Walden III are learning some…