Idaho Department of Education

Students and parents must sign the Advanced Opportunities Participation Form before being eligible for state funding. This form should be turned into the school district Advanced Opportunities staff (please do not send this to the Idaho Department of Education). There are risks to taking advanced courses. The form outlines some of the potential risks to ensure students and parents are aware before they commit to the course(s).

One important item to consider is that the student’s grade will be recorded on the student’s high school transcript if the state pays for the course, regardless of the course outcome.

Students and parents also need to communicate with their school district Advanced Opportunities staff to learn the school district’s policies and deadlines for participation in the program and registration in the state Advanced Opportunities portal for funding.

To utilize Advanced Opportunities funds, requests must be made through the student’s local school district. Student and parent will be asked to fill out a participation form that will be kept at their school. Depending on local processes, the student may need to request funds for specific courses/exams through their Advanced Opportunities account, or the Advanced Opportunities staff may apply for funds on their behalf. Check with your school’s Advanced Opportunities staff to learn more about local deadlines and procedures.

To apply for funding, please follow the instructions to create an Advanced Opportunities account.

When applying for Advanced Opportunities funds, please note that this does not take the place of college registration for dual credit. Each college/university has an admissions and course registration process for their institution.

Applying for college courses is different than applying for funds through the Advanced Opportunities program. The following is the general process:

• Complete Dual Credit Application: This information provides the necessary details to register for courses and ensures the criteria for enrolling in dual credit courses is met.
• Complete Course Registration: This registration is the actual selection of courses.
• If necessary, complete IDLA Application: When taking an online dual credit course through the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, will need to work with the IDLA site coordinator at the school to get signed up.

Processes, deadlines, and requirements for college courses differ between colleges and universities. It is important to be aware of the requirements for the college(s) you are choosing to attend.

Please view the Links tab to view college and university dual credit webpages.

Have a plan. Meeting with a high school counselor and/or college/career advisor is the best place to begin. Each public school student has an advisor at the school who is trained to provide support. Students who use Advanced Opportunities funds for more than 15 dual credits must receive advising on how credits will translate into their post high-school goals. Courses and exams paid by Advanced Opportunities should be aligned to the student Career Pathway Plan on record with the school.

It’s important to be realistic about the goal of taking college course work. While an Associate Degree may be attainable in high school, it’s important to be realistic and understand fully the commitment and value to be earned. Talk with a college academic advisor if this is a consideration.

Courses within the GEM Framework (general education core courses) are what are generally recommended when considering which courses to take. These courses have additional value as:

• Many Idaho colleges have specific pathways and transfer agreements for those who transfer with such courses.
• Students who complete these courses at a regionally-accredited Idaho public college will likely be considered as satisfying the general education core requirements when transferring to another public college/university in Idaho.
• Completing these courses can significantly reduce overall costs and time of obtaining further education.

Most courses taken for dual credit from an Idaho college will transfer seamlessly to other Idaho colleges, however this is ultimately at the discretion of the receiving college. More information on transferability between Idaho colleges can be found on the Idaho Course Transfer website. Idaho colleges have an agreement through the General Education Matriculation (GEM) framework, as these approved courses tend to transfer most flexibly. If a student isn’t particularly sure which major they hope to pursue, a GEM course is highly recommended.

If a student plans to attend a private or out-of-state college, it is advised to contact the final college to ask how Idaho post-secondary credits will be accepted. Each institution will have transfer guides and articulation agreements that can assist with this.

In order to transfer college credit, a transcript will need to be sent.

Advanced Opportunities (AO) is inclusive of many different course types including college courses for both Career & Technical Education (CTE) and academic education that earn high school credit, approved workforce training courses and approved apprenticeships, and high school level courses outside of the students full credit load.

AO may pay for overload courses, which are high school level courses that must be transcribed on a high school transcript, taken in excess of a full credit load, must be offered by the organization that accredits Idaho public schools, and must be taught by an Idaho certified teacher with the appropriate high school credentials. A full credit load means at least 12 credits per school year for grades 7-12. Overload is measured in the term for which the student is enrolled. Summer is generally considered overload, as courses are typically not expected of a student. Certain circumstance may vary by school.

Advanced Opportunities funding is limited to exams and courses, thus lab fees, technical competency credit transcription, and textbooks are currently prohibited expenses. Many school districts and college providers have resources to help with these costs.

Courses that espouse a religious doctrine are prohibited.

College dual credit courses must be provided by a regionally accredited college.

Depending on the course and type there may be additional costs not met by Advanced Opportunities program funding. For example, costs could include: textbooks, transportation, tools, supplies, and transcription fees.

The statute governing these programs explicitly states that these funds are available to students who are attending an Idaho public school. In many cases, homeschool/private school students choose to dually enroll and participate in public school activities as well as homeschool/private school coursework. Many homeschool/private school families have chosen to mix and match the course pathway for their student to include at least one such course, making these funds accessible. Please note that local enrollment policies will apply and vary from school to school.

Failing a course is determined by the course provider and generally means a student who withdrew, (earned a “W”) or a student who failed (earned a “F” letter grade.)

If a student fails to earn credit or successfully complete a course for which the department has paid a reimbursement, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before the Idaho Department of Education may pay any further reimbursements for the student. Contact the student’s Advanced Opportunities staff to learn next steps.

If a student performs inadequately on an examination for which the Idaho Department of Education has paid a reimbursement, the public school shall determine whether the student must pay for and successfully pass such examination to continue receiving state funding. An inadequate score is determined by the school district.

Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program. Repeated courses are generally determined by the curriculum and they may include similar or like course naming conventions or titles. Remedial courses are those courses designed for students in need of additional support to succeed in gateway courses in mathematics or English and require to be complete before a student may enroll in the college level work. Remedial courses are generally numbered below 100.

Grading policies vary by school district and provider. A student may enroll in a course for secondary credit, for postsecondary credit, or dual credit. If a college course is paid for by Advanced Opportunities, dual credit is required, meaning high school transcription is required. In the cases where a student is enrolled for dual credit, the student will likely receive a secondary and post-secondary grade. Students are responsible for providing grades and other necessary information in order to receive secondary credit for a post-secondary course, if desired. In many circumstances a student’s post-secondary institution will share information automatically with the secondary institution so high school credit can be granted.

• Awarding High School Credit Guidance

An early graduate is determined by the school district exit code and the verification of enrollment by the college.

A student must apply within two years of graduation and be attending an Idaho public college through the student Advanced Opportunities account.

Annual scholarship payments will be made in one (1) installment during the first semester in which the student is enrolled, regardless of the number of years early the student graduated. Proof of enrollment in an Idaho public college or university is obtained via the Advanced Opportunities portal before any scholarship payment is made. The Idaho Department of Education will be responsible for making payments to the Idaho public colleges and universities attended by eligible students. Payments will be made no later than August 30 for the Summer Semester, August 30 for the fall semester and January 30 for the spring semester.

The following are the deadlines for scholarship submission to be considered in the corresponding semester:

• Summer Semester: Application submitted by June 1
• Fall Semester: Application submitted by August 1
• Spring Semester: Application submitted by January 1

• Scholarship Information