There must be a search for comparable services and benefits before VR funds post-secondary training courses during high school.

Participating in post-secondary training during high school may be appropriate for a high school student being served by Nebraska VR. Post-secondary training options include, but are not limited to, Advanced Placement Courses, Dual Credit programs offered by colleges, or Concurrent Enrollment at a post secondary institution.

For Nebraska VR to participate in the cost of such courses and programs the service must support the student’s job goal on thier IPE. It would be very unusual for financial aid to be awarded through a FAFSA for Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, or Concurrent Enrollment. However, other comparable benefit and services resources should be explored.

Advance Placement (AP)

1. Visit with the AP coordinator or AP teacher to learn about the school’s AP program, registration process, courses, exam schedule, fees and fee reduction options to include eligibility requirements for College Board fee reductions, state and district subsidies, and other funding supports that may be available. If a student attends a school that does not offer AP, the school counselor should be able to assist the student in exploring online courses through an approved provider.
2. Check the list of AP courses and the accepted exam score for the college the student plans to attend.
3. Visit Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) on the College Board website for more information about accommodations on AP Exams for students with documented disabilities. Some examples of accommodations include:

• extended time
• large-block answer sheets
• permission to use calculator, computer, etc.
• reader 
• sign language interpreter

4. Develop, review, or amend the IPE with the student to ensure the student’s employment goal requires post-secondary training and the student intends to attend post-secondary training after graduation.
5. Consider authorizing the AP exam fee as a reimbursement to the student paid upon passing the AP exam with a score accepted by the college the student plans to attend. Require a copy of the AP Exam Score and compare to the score accepted by the college the student plans to attend. Use Miscellaneous Training – Other Classes as the Category and Service in QE2.
6. VR does not pay for any textbooks or supplies since an AP class is a high school course earning high school credit.

Dual Credit Programs

1. Determine if the high school participates in any Dual Credit programs with post-secondary institutions. 
2. Learn about the qualifications for the program, registration process, cost, payment options, available third-party funding, etc.
3. Develop, review, or amend the IPE with the student to ensure the student’s employment goal requires post-secondary training and the student intends to attend post-secondary training after graduation.
4. Use Miscellaneous Training – Other Classes as the Category and Service in QE2.
5. VR will not pay for any textbooks or supplies.
6. Nebraska VR’s financial participation shall not exceed the per credit hour Training Allowance based on the type of post-secondary institution (4-year, 2-year, etc.) and type of credit provided (semester, quarter, etc.)
7. Consider authorizing the tuition as a reimbursement to the student paid upon the student completing and passing the course (s) with a grade or score recognized by the participating post-secondary institution.

Concurrent Enrollment

1. Determine if the high school allows the student to take a college course(s) during or after the school day.
2. Visit with the post-secondary institution to see if and how a secondary student can take a course(s) prior to obtaining a high school diploma or GED.
3. Learn about the qualifications for taking a course(s), the registration process, cost, payment options, available third-party funding, etc.
4. Develop, review, or amend the IPE with the student to ensure the student’s employment goal requires skill training and the student intends to either continue with skill training related to the job goal and or become employed in the job requiring that job skill.
5. Use Miscellaneous Training – Other Classes as the Category and Service in QE2.
6. Nebraska VR’s financial participation shall not exceed the per credit hour Training Allowance based on the type of post-secondary institution (4-year, 2-year, etc.) and type of credit provided (semester, quarter, etc.); or may be the actual cost of tuition, books and required supplies for limited skill building. Depends on whether financial aid can be awarded for the courses.
7. May authorize as a Cash Advance, Program Purchase or Reimbursement.

Critical Planning Questions:

• What is the deadline to enroll, withdraw, and pay any tuition and /or fees?
• Will the credit apply to programs and majors the student is considering?
• How is credit earned? What is a passing grade? What is a qualifying score on an AP Exam?
• What documents will the student need to provide to the college the student is or will be attending?
• What happens if the student is not successful?
• How will this affect the student’s high school GPA or college GPA?
• Is there a fee to add credits by exam to a student’s college transcript?
• What will be the overall cost be including tuition, exam, college transcript and/or scored report fees?
• What comparable services and benefits are available?

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) is a national program of standardized courses taught in high schools by teachers certified by the AP program. The College Board, which administers the SAT, also administers the Advanced Placement program. A passing grade in an AP course earns high school credit. Passing the National AP Exam is required to earn college credit. Individual colleges decide which AP Exams to accept, the score required to award credits and how the credits affect the college transcript. The high school may award weighted grades for the AP course. Most colleges have a list of AP courses and grades that they accept on their website.

There is no cost to take the AP class, but there is a cost to take the National AP Exam. A search for comparable services and benefits must be conducted as sometime school districts and the College Board offer financial assistance in whole or in part.

Dual Credit

Dual Credit, also known as Dual Enrollment, is a partnership between an individual high school and an individual college, which may or may not be Nebraska based. Usually, the courses are taught in the high school by teachers the partner college has deemed qualified. Some courses may be taught on-line or by another distance format. An official college transcript is required. The high school may award a weighted grade. Depending upon the arrangement between the high school and the college, tuition and fees may be charged. If tuition and fees are charged, comparable services and benefits must be explored. If the student later attends a different school that the partner college, the credits become transfer credits and are subject to the transfer policies of the school the student is enrolling in or transferring to.

Concurrent Enrollment

A high school student may be enrolled in a post-secondary course that is not part of a Dual Credit partnership. No high school credit is typically earned. The courses may be taken on the college campus, on-line, or in another distance format. The student generally pays for tuition, fees and books. A search for comparable services and benefits must be explored.