College Connection Students

Qualified students earn high school and college credit concurrently, paying one third of the regular tuition cost or less.* College credit is transferable to most two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Jump Start Your Education

The College Connection program enables high school students to attend Dutchess Community College classes at their high schools. It gives students the opportunity to experience college work before graduation and to earn both high school and college credit. Credits can be applied to Dutchess Community College or transferred to most four-year colleges and universities.

Courses are taught by high school teachers who have been approved by DCC to teach. These teachers are required to meet the same standards as college part-time faculty in order to teach these classes. Over 20 college level courses are taught in high schools throughout Dutchess and Putnam counties during the regular school day.

Taught by high school teachers who are also college part-time instructors, these courses give high school students the opportunity to experience a challenging, college-level course while still in high school.

* Those eligible for free or reduced lunch pay a further reduced cost. As some districts have funding to support enrollment in College Connection, students should check with their schools to find out whether there is a cost to participate.

Tuition Information

College Connection Student	Per Credit	3 Credits	4 Credits
Regular Tuition	$67	$201	$268
Free or Reduced Priced Lunch Tuition*	$33.50	$100.50	$134

Payment

Spring 2024 students must pay their tuition in full or set up a payment plan by March 18 to avoid being dropped from the college course. If students have not paid or set up a payment plan by this date, they risk not being able to earn college credit. 

For spring 2024, payment instructions will be emailed to students' myDCC accounts and personal emails in late February. If you need assistance or have questions about payment, please contact the Office of Student Financial Services at financialservices@sunydutchess.edu.

* The tuition decrease for students receiving/eligible for free or reduced priced lunch will be reflected after students register for their classes. Students DO NOT need. to pay in full when registering. They can put down a partial payment or pay the reduced cost listed in the table above. After the College receives verification from the high school that the student is receiving/eligible for free or reduced priced lunch, the student's account will be adjusted accordingly.

Expectations

Students are required to meet the same standards as the College maintains for all of its students. In some cases, it may be necessary for students to take the college placement test. Coursework completed in College Connection classes is at the same level of excellence as the courses taught on campus.

Students participating in the program are registered Dutchess Community College students and have access to all of the college resources available to them while taking these courses including our on-campus library.

To find out more about the College Connection program, please contact the College Connection Program or our High School Liaison, Ally Vincent.

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