Dual & Concurrent Enrollment Programs

Jumpstart Your College Education—for FREE!

Southwestern College’s Dual and Concurrent Enrollment programs allow middle school, high school, and adult school students to take college courses while continuing their current education. These programs offer an opportunity to begin earning college credit and experience college learning.

Students can explore subjects that interest them, discover career options, and make progress toward a college degree or certificate. Depending on their school’s policies, courses may also count toward graduation requirements. Students also have access to SWC resources and support services to help them succeed.

Select your student category below to learn about available opportunities and how to get started!

Information for High School Students

High school students enrolled in 9th through 12th grades can begin earning college credit before graduation through two options at Southwestern College: California College & Career Access Pathways (CCAP) and High School Special (HSS). Here’s how each option works.

College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP): College Classes Through Your High School
Southwestern College (SWC) partners with participating high schools to offer free college courses taught by SWC instructors. Through the CCAP program, students can earn both high school and college credit while receiving support from their high school and SWC. Students and families can contact their high school counselor to learn about available courses and enrollment steps.

High School Special (HSS): College Classes Beyond Your High School’s Offerings
HSS allows high school students to take SWC courses outside their school’s CCAP program, including courses offered on campus or online. This option gives students the opportunity to explore interests and earn college credit. Students and families should check with their high school counselor to confirm whether a course can also count toward high school graduation.

CCAP vs HSS

Program	CCAP	HSS
Location	Classes are held at your High School Campus	Classes are held at SWC or online
Credit	Earn both high school and college credit	Earn college credit and may also earn high school credit (confirm with your high school counselor
Cost	Tuition waived and no cost for their book, materials, and supplies (provided by HS)	Tuition is waived and students are responsible for their course book, materials, and supplies.
Support	Receive support from their high school and SWC	Receive support services from SWC.
Schedule	Predictable scheduling at the HS site	Flexibility in scheduling - greater course selection options
Student Access	High School selects the students for the courses offered	Students choose courses from the SWC catalog in consultation with their high school counselor

Students enrolled in homeschool programs must meet one of the following criteria:

Home School Program affiliation with a County Department of Education Program.
California teaching credential of parent/legal guardian.
Current private school affidavit filed with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Note: Students enrolled in homeschool programs must provide one item from the list of documentation prior to enrolling for classes.

FAST FORWARD TO COLLEGE PROGRAM
The Fast Forward to College Program is a dual enrollment program between Sweetwater Adult Education and Southwestern Community College.
Students attend adult school and community college at the same time. College class and enrollment fees are waived. Students MUST be enrolled in a high school diploma class or a GED or HiSET preparation class and may take any Southwestern College class while attending their adult school class.

For more information, watch this video:

The Adult Education Partnership Dual Enrollment Program covers tuition costs if the student is currently enrolled in a high school diploma or GED program at a local adult school, regardless of their residency status (except for international students and students on B1/B2/tourist visas).
Southwestern College’s Early College program offers an exciting pathway for motivated middle school students to jumpstart their future through innovative academies like Lights, Camera, Action and STEM Academy. These programs blend rigorous college-level coursework with hands‑on, career-focused learning, empowering students to explore their passions while earning college credit. Together, these pathways foster creativity, critical thinking, and college readiness—setting students on a fast track toward academic and career success.

Please visit the Early College Middle School Students page.

Dual or Concurrent Enrollment students are Southwestern College students. They have access to Southwestern College’s student support services and are expected to follow SWC rules, policies, and academic requirements. Review the information below to learn about available support, student responsibilities, and important guidelines.

- Tuition is FREE!
- Earn a high school diploma and college credit at the same time
- Make progress toward degree requirements at Southwestern College, California State University, and University of California colleges
- Experience college life and learning
- Students who participate in dual enrollment typically have higher high school graduation rates, improved high school GPAs, stronger study skills for college, and a greater likelihood of completing college.
Students admitted in this category are subject to college regulations regarding admissions, attendance, prerequisites, scholarships, and personal conduct. All courses attempted and the units earned will be recorded on the student's permanent record for future use toward college graduation requirements.

UNITS: CCAP students may only take a maximum of fifteen (15) units per semester. HSS and Adult Education Partnership students may only take a maximum of eleven (11) units per semester..

FERPA: California Education Code 49061 states that parents/legal guardians of community college students do not have a right of access to their children’s student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. The rules regarding student records are governed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Academic information is only released with the written consent of the student or court documentation.

GRADES: Grades earned in Southwestern College courses become part of the student’s official college academic transcript. Students may view course grades by logging into their MySWC account.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION ARE CRITICAL TO SUCCESS: Attend classes and activities on time.. Instructors establish attendance requirements, and students may be dropped by the instructor for excessive absences or tardiness.

WITHDRAWING FORM A CLASS: Students who cannot continue a college course should consider withdrawing from the class by the published deadline. Stopping attendance does not constitute withdrawal.Studentswho do not officially withdraw through MySWC by the withdrawal deadline may receive an “F.” Contact your high school counselor for additional guidance.

COURSE CONTENT/MATERIAL: SWC is an adult learning environment. As such, discussion topics and course materials are generally designed for adult students and may not be appropriate for younger students.

ACADEMIC CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: Students must submit their own work and properly cite sources. Self-plagiarism may also be considered a violation of academic integrity. Students must consult their syllabus and obtain instructor permission. Cheating and plagiarism may be handled with a zero grade and possibly a referral to the Southwestern College Student Conduct procedure

STUDENT BEHAVIORAL CONDUCT: Students are expected to learn and participate appropriately in class. Southwestern College does not give citizenship/behavior grades. College courses may move at a faster pace than students are accustomed to, and students are encouraged to ask the instructor questions when clarification is needed.

PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS CONTACTING INSTRUCTORS: College instructors communicate directly with enrolled students in a college course.Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), instructors cannot discuss a student’s academic performance or other student-related issues with parents/legal guardians without the student’s authorization, except as permitted by law. Southwestern College does not accommodate parent/legal guardian requests to contact instructors.

ADULT CONTENT: As participants in college-level courses, dual enrollment students may be exposed to academic content intended for adult learners. Depending on the subject area, course materials and discussions may address mature, complex, or sensitive topics, including issues related to human sexuality, gender identity, violence, sexual assault, reproductive health, historical events, social justice, cultural perspectives, and artistic or literary works that contain depictions of nudity or other sensitive subject matter. Students and families should understand that dual enrollment students are participating in the same curriculum and learning environment as other adult college students.

For more information, please review the Standards of Student Conduct.
DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES: Students with verified disabilities should contact SWC Disability Support Services (DSS) before classes begin to discuss appropriate accommodations and/or services: Voice (619) 482-6512 or VP (619) 207-4480 or DSS@swccd.edu. Accommodations provided with K-12 Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or 504 Plans are not automatic. Students must go through an interactive process with a SWC DSS Specialist to determine accommodations for SWC courses. Visit the DSS website to obtain more information.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER :Parents/legal guardians should be aware that students enrolled in dual enrollment courses at Southwestern College have access to the Health and Wellness Center and may request and receive medical and mental health services. These services may include routine medical examinations, treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, immunizations, mental health counseling, emergency response services, and referrals to external healthcare providers as needed. The required Health Fee is waived for dual enrollment students.

ACADEMIC TUTORING: Learning Assistance Services (LAS) provides free tutoring in subjects from accounting to zoology for all registered SWC students. To learn more, visit the Academic Tutoring page.

STUDENT SUPPORT: Dual enrollment students have access to Southwestern College’s student support services. Students and families can visit the Student Support page to learn more.

Enroll Today!

Complete a Southwestern College application for the desired term

Within 1-2 business days, students will receive an email with their SWC ID and instructions for creating a MySWC account.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: Complete the Dual Enrollment Special Admission Form Online (MySWC Login and Account Creation Required)

Students who participate in CCAP only need to submit one Dual Enrollment Form during high school, which covers both CCAP and High School Special (HSS) courses, unless they change schools or parent/legal guardian consent is withdrawn in writing. Students who have never participated in CCAP and are enrolling only in HSS courses must submit a Dual Enrollment Form every semester.

STUDENTS: Complete the Dual Enrollment Form through MySWC login. After submission, the form will be emailed to the parent/legal guardian for their signature. For HSS students, the form will then be sent to the high school principal for approval.

PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS: An email with a link will be received to sign the form, and may appear in the junk/spam folder. Create and verify a Dynamic Forms account if needed, then return to the link in the original email to log in, sign, and submit the form.

Once all signatures are complete, it will automatically be sent to Outreach and Dual Enrollment for processing.

Step 3: Choose and register for classes

CCAP classes: CCAP students do not need to search for classes. The high school counselor coordinates course selection with the Outreach and Dual Enrollment Department.

HSS Classes:

After the form is processed, students will receive an email when they are eligible to choose classes.
Watch this video for instructions on how to search for classes and register:

Para ver este video en Español haga click en este link: Como escoger y registrarse a classes

Select courses that do not conflict with the high school schedule.
For registration dates, please visit the Important Dates and Deadlines Page.

Please note: CCAP students may only take a maximum of 15 units per semester. HSS and Adult Education students may only take a maximum of 11 units per semester.

To verify, the student is registered for classes. Log in to your MySWC account > Go to Student Self-Service card >Click on Plan & Schedule to view registered, waitlisted, and planned classes.

Please note: Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If a class is full, eligible students may be added to the waitlist.