INA, Ill. (April 23, 2024) — The Illinois Community College Board announced in March that it is awarding a $145,369 grant that will expand Rend Lake College’s dual credit opportunities for high school students in the district. In all, the ICCB injected $3 million into dual credit at community colleges across the state. The program allows students the ability to earn college-level credits while still in high school. RLC dual credit has saved area students and their families nearly $20 million since being first introduced in 2002 when students in the RLC district saved just under $69,000. In FY23, it saved them a combined $997,466 in tuition and textbooks.
RLC will be using the grant funding to provide enhanced training through the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) for dual credit instructors at Sesser, Benton, Hamilton County and Wayne City High Schools.
| FY 2018 | FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Credit | 7,888 | 8,458 | 6,795 | 6,108 | 5,797 | 6,240 |
| Dual Enrollment | 1,010 | 767.5 | 718 | 700 | 670 | 722 |
| Dual Credit & Dual Enrollment | 1,338 | 1,806 | 1,508 | 1,588 | 2,274 | 794 |
SOURCE OF DATA: RLC 2023 Data Book |
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The Dual Credit Program has become a progressively popular option for Illinois high school students with enrollment in the program increasing by 29% cumulatively over the last five years and 65% cumulatively over the last decade, according to the ICCB.
| FY 2019 | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 64,106 | 69,299 | 66,788 | 75,507 | 82,602 |
| % Change | 8.60% | 8.10% | -3.60% | 13.10% | 9.40% |
SOURCE OF DATA: ICCB Centralized Data System – Annual Enrollment & Completion (A1) Data
“We know students who take dual credit courses are significantly more likely to earn a college degree than those that don’t. This is especially true for students from underserved communities. This grant funding will increase access to dual credit and help more students earn college credit before graduating from high school thus savings students time and money in college,” said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham.A new report released by the ICCB found that High school students who took dual credit courses have substantially higher community college graduation rates and advancement rates than those students who did not enroll in dual credit coursework.
Other Dual Credit report findings:
- In fiscal year 2023, Illinois community colleges offered a total of 14,638 dual credit courses, which was an increase of 8.1 percent from the previous year.
- In Illinois, during fiscal year 2023, a total of 82,602 individual (i.e., “unduplicated”) high school students enrolled in one or more community college dual credit courses.
- One in five students (20.1 percent) taking one or more Illinois community college credit courses was a high school dual credit student.
- Overall, in fiscal year 2023, dual credit duplicated (seat count) enrollment increased 11.5 percent compared to one year ago.
Enrollment data shows enrollment growth across all student populations, especially among Hispanic/Latino and African American students.
Comparison of Annual Dual Credit Enrollments in Illinois Public Community Colleges by Race/Ethnicity in Fiscal Year 2019 and 2023
| Race/Ethnicity | 2019 | 2023 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| African American | 6,071 | 7,672 | 26.40% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 11,451 | 15,953 | 39.30% |
| White | 38,287 | 46,484 | 21.40% |
| Other | 8,297 | 12,493 | 50.6% |
| Total | 64,106 | 82,602 | 28.90% |
SOURCE OF DATA: ICCB Centralized Data System – Annual Enrollment
Access and Equity Dual Credit Grant dollars have been awarded to 24 community colleges throughout the state to expand access to dual credit classes.
| College | Grant Amount |
|---|---|
| College of Lake County | $127,446.00 |
| Harold Washington College | $150,000.00 |
| Harper College | $149,385.00 |
| Harry S. Truman College | $133,675.00 |
| Highland College | $150,000.00 |
| Illinois Central College | $149,958.00 |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | $117,764.00 |
| John Wood Community College | $101,300.00 |
| Kaskaskia College | $17,328.00 |
| Kennedy King College | $150,000.00 |
| Kishwaukee College | $34,344.00 |
| Lake Land College | $127,500.00 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | $105,000.00 |
| Malcolm X College | $150,000.00 |
| McHenry County College | $150,000.00 |
| Olive-Harvey College | $149,999.00 |
| Parkland College | $149,234.03 |
| Prairie State College | $150,000.00 |
| Rend Lake College | $145,369.00 |
| Richard J. Daley College | $148,563.00 |
| Shawnee Community College | $150,000.00 |
| South Suburban College | $150,000.00 |
| Triton College | $150,000.00 |
| Wilbur Wright College | $146,819.00 |
| Total | $3,003,684.03 |
For more information about the Dual credit programs administered through the Illinois College Board, click here.
About the Illinois Community College Board
The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is the state coordinating organization for the Illinois Community College System - the third largest in the country and the leading public workforce development trainer in the state. The ICCB has statutory responsibility for administering state and federal grants to community college districts and adult education providers and managing high school equivalency testing for Illinois. Illinois community colleges serve over 600,000 residents each year in credit, noncredit, and continuing education courses. Illinois is home to 48 colleges in 39 community college districts which provide high quality, accessible, cost-effective educational opportunities to the entire state.
ICCB Media Contact: Matt Berry, Chief of Staff, (217) 785-7411, matt.berry@illinois.gov
RLC Media Contact: Nathan Wheeler, Director of Marketing & Communications, (618) 437-5321, Ext. 1234, wheelern@rlc.edu
