CTE Dual Credit

The Whatcom County CTE Dual Credit Consortium is dedicated to helping students get connected to clear, meaningful educational pathways which lead to successful career opportunities. The consortium is sponsored by a partnership of local High Schools, Bellingham Technical College, and Whatcom Community College. Students can earn college credit on the high school campus for articulated courses that prepare them for a professional/technical career. According to the Washington Student Achievement Council, students who earn college credit are more likely to graduate high school, enroll in college, and complete college degrees.

Why Take College CTE Dual Credit Classes?

CTE Dual Credit students save time and tuition dollars by getting a head start on fulfilling college degree or certificate requirements.
CTE Dual Credit students complete courses that help prepare them for career opportunities beyond high school.
CTE Dual Credit students learn skills to be productive in the world of work.
CTE Dual Credit students take college courses while attending classes on their high school campus.

Program Considerations

Grades earned in high school will show up as part of the cumulative college GPA. For example, if you earn a "B" in high school, you will also have a "B" on your college transcript.
Excess credits that are not part of a program/pathway could negatively impact a student’s future financial aid eligibility.

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Students | Parents | Guardians

Dual Credit means 9th-12th grade students can earn high school AND college credit at the same time, for completing a high school CTE course in their home high school. Teachers from high schools and college work together to ensure the high school classes match the learning outcomes of the college-level course. Course options vary by high school.

CTE Dual Credit classes satisfy high school graduation requirements and earn college credit at the same time.
Get college credit by taking course on your high school campus and starting your college transcript.
Take classes that prepare for college and a career.
CTE Dual Credit classes are generally free to high school students. Credits on your transcript can lower the cost of attendance by completing required courses in your future program of study.

Here are the steps for enrolling in CTE Dual Credit Courses:

Visit your Counseling/Career Center at your high school for help in selecting classes that match your career pathway.
Complete the College CTE Dual Credit registration Process by using the online system (SERS)
During the semester, work with your teacher to achieve the required skills and competencies.
Earn at least a "B" grade in the class.
Contact Whatcom County CTE Dual Credit if you have any questions.
adalgarn@btc.edu or 360-752-8409

Registration

To enroll in a CTE Dual Credit course, students must be enrolled in an eligible, articulated high school course and register for college credit through the SERS website. Registration is guided by your classroom teacher, instructions can be found here: Registration Instructions

Transcript Information

CTE Dual Credit courses offered through BTC are automatically transcribed once grades are posted. You can request transcripts from the BTC Transcripts Webpage.

Courses offered through Whatcom Community College are NOT automatically transcribed.

Please follow the instructions here to request credit transcription from WCC:

1) If you plan to attend WCC: Apply for Whatcom Community College by completing the admissions process. When you receive your CTCLink ID (generally 5-7 business days after submitting your admissions application, move to step 2

If you plan to attend any other college, skip to step 2

2) Send an email to adalgarn@btc.edu

Title your email “CTE Dual Credit Request” in the subject line and include the following information in the body:

Student Name: ______________________________________________________

Date of Birth: _______________________________________________________

High School: ________________________________________________________

Student email: ______________________________________________________

Student Phone number: ______________________________________________

High School Classes that you are expecting college Credit for:

1. _____________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________

Upon receipt of this email, our Records office will build a record and transcribe those credits for you.

Please be aware that this process can take between 7-10 business days. Once transcribed, you can request your official or unofficial transcript at Whatcom Community College’s Transcript Webpage.

Ordering Transcripts

An unofficial transcript is an unsigned and unsealed copy of the student’s record and is available online. There is no charge for unofficial transcript copies. It is the responsibility of the student to view their transcript for accuracy.

To order official transcripts, use the online transcript service to order your Official BTC or WCC Transcript. There is a fee to order official transcripts. Transcripts can be mailed or picked up in person with photo ID. Transcripts are delivered in an envelope with an officially sealed envelope inside. Official sealed transcripts are required to transfer credit to another college or university. Transcripts will be withheld if all obligations to the College, financial or otherwise, are not fully filled. To view and print your unofficial transcript, go to the BTC Transcripts or WCC Transcript websites.

CTE Dual Credit Courses by High School

To see all CTE Dual credit courses offered at your High School, please search by your school name in the CTE Dual Credit Database (Link coming soon!)

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Districts and Educators

Information for Districts and Educators

Whatcom CTE Dual Credit program is a cooperative program between local school districts, Bellingham Technical College and Whatcom Community College. This dual credit program allows 9th through 12th grade students the opportunity to earn college credit while simultaneously earning high school credit in approved high school courses. Courses are college-level and equivalent in outcomes, instruction, and pedagogy. Students who enroll in the program and satisfy course requirements can have their coursework posted to a BTC/WCC transcript with the grade they earned in the course.

Eligibility

Certificated teachers must be endorsed in CTE with the appropriate V-code to offer CTE Dual Credit courses.
The college and school district must have a contract in place (Memorandum of Agreement) with the respective college or commit to signing one in the future.
The high school course must be equivalent to the college course, including but not limited to: meeting the College's course outcomes, grading standards, theoretical, and pedagogical standards.

Course Articulation Process

To articulate a course for CTE Dual Credit:

CTE Director completes the Articulation Inquiry Form. If you need help identifying a college course for articulation, please review our list of CTE Dual Credit Courses by Pathway
CTE Dual Credit staff will review the request and complete the college's portion of the Course Articulation Form, including specific requests for documentation, and send the form to the CTE Director.
The CTE Director will complete the District portion of the form and provide all requested documentation.
Once the coordinator has received the completed form and documentation, they will schedule a meeting with faculty, instructors, and CTE directors to review the articulation. If approved, the Dual Credit coordinator will route for final signatures. The course will then be able to offer college credit the following school year.

CTE Articulation Priority Timeline

Launch	Close	Process	Notes
May 1st	June 1st	Articulation Inquiry Form	Approved requests placed by this deadline will be for CTE classes the following academic year
May 2nd	Oct 1st	CTE Dual Credit Course Articulation Form and Required Documentation	CTE Coordinator forwards to School Districts. School districts must provide all required materials for new articulations in order for requests to be routed to faculty and department chairs for review.
Oct 2nd	Nov 1st	Articulation Approved or denied, sent for signatures.	Department chairs and faculty determine if the articulation is approved or denied. School districts/teachers will be notified of if their articulation is approved or denied.

June 1– Priority Deadline
Submit completed articulation requests by this date to receive a decision by November 1

After June 1
Requests will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis and processed as quickly as possible; however, a November 1 decision cannot be guaranteed, as faculty review timelines may vary—particularly during summer months when many faculty are off contract.

This timeline is designed to ensure districts receive articulation decisions prior to submitting the following year's course catalogs.

Request Help

We know that teachers and other school staff are busy people! Reach out for help or request an onsite visit by emailing Alana Dalgarn at adalgarn@btc.edu.