Guidance Counselor FAQs
Northampton Community College

Dual Enrollment allows current High School students (usually Juniors and Seniors) to take college courses taught by NCC faculty and staff while earning transferable credits toward a future degree. Younger students may participate but must meet high school and college eligibility requirements. All students must complete the application process. In addition to being a cost-effective way to get ahead on college coursework, dual enrollment prepares students for what to expect at the next level. It sets them up for success in their future academic endeavors. It’s open to any high school student who currently takes college prep, vocational, or Honors/AP courses. Interested students can learn more through an online information session available on demand.

• Students can find information on how to apply and register here.
• Students must complete each step (1-8) before course registration

Tuition and cost information is listed here.

• A limited number of dual enrollment scholarships are available each semester. Preference will be given to students who receive free/reduced lunch and/or are first-generation college students.
• Students must fill out the scholarship application for each semester they are registered for a class
• Students must be registered for a class before they apply for the scholarship
• Out of County/Country students are not eligible to receive the dual enrollment scholarship
• Student must be registered for a class to be eligible for the scholarship.

1. The college uses multiple measures to determine student placement in English and Mathematics classes. Student placement will be determined by high school transcript review.
   1. English: Students receive a notification in their Workday student account if they are college English eligible. If a student does not meet the requirements, they will be required to take the English Pathfinder Placement assessment before course registration.
   2. *Students are required to have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0/83% to be English 101 ready (See suggested courses below)
   3. Math: College math requirements depend on a student’s career pathway so that placement can vary. At NCC, most students begin with College Algebra or Introductory Statistics. Placement is determined by reviewing the highest-level high school math course completed in the last two years, along with the grade earned.
      1. To place directly into College Algebra or Introductory Statistics, students need to have completed, during their junior or senior year:
         • Algebra 2 with a B or higher, OR
         • Algebra 3 or Precalculus with a C or higher.
      2. Students who do not meet these requirements will take the Math Pathfinder Placement assessment to determine the best starting course/

The College Connections Team recommends students start with what colleges call General Education courses:

• English I (ENGL101) *
• English II (ENGL151)*
• Intro to Psychology (PSYC103)*
• Principles of Sociology (SOCA103)*
• Intro to Communication (COMM101)
• History
• College Success**

• Yes, see Dual Enrollment General Education Specialized diploma.
• We always suggest students reach out to their counselor before registering for a college class, as all high schools have different course requirements, dual credit restrictions, contracts, etc...

• Yes! We offer a General Education Specialized Diploma.
• NCC-bound students are also encouraged to view all programs and majors and work with their assigned Academic Advisor on course selection and registration.

It is up to the student’s future college or university to verify what credits will transfer and what course equivalencies can be used to satisfy their future degree requirements.

View Transfer Information

Email Collegeconnections@northampton.edu; include the student's name, high school, and NCC student ID if known.

1. Dual Enrollment students do not need to reapply. They will need to log into their Workday student portal and change their major. This is for current dual enrollment students and students who applied for DE and never registered for a college class. If they have an application, Workday username, and password, they can change their major.
2. Dual enrollment Helpful videos, including how to change your major can be found here.
3. Once they change their major, they will continue to work with the NCC academic advisor to schedule their first semester. As they move through their new program of study, students will be assigned a new Advisor (no longer working with their DE academic advisor). This change will be updated in Workday. If they have questions or haven’t been assigned an advisor, they should contact the Advising department.
4. If they have questions regarding NCC programs and majors, please have them contact Advising.

Dual Enrollment students have access to all student services at the college, such as the learning center, counseling, academic advising, student life, and more...

• All accommodations must go through the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC).
• High school accommodations do not carry over to college. Appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities are determined on an individual, case-by-case basis through the interactive Pre-Service meeting, appropriate documentation, and the impact of the particular disability in the academic environment.

Students should review the Accessibility Resource Center Website, which includes the process to apply for services (which differs from the HS process). The website also includes common services, additional resources, etc...

Some of the more common accommodations can be found here:

Accessibility Resource Center

• First, encourage them to talk to their professor. Professors have office hours and contact information posted in the course syllabus. Please remind students to use their NCC email, and not Workday or Brightspace, for communication.
• If they are unable to resolve the issue, they should reach out to their academic advisor, who can help connect them to the academic Dean.
• Please know that these meetings are confidential. The Dean will work with the student to find the best solution.

Have students use one of the following forms if they have a non-academic concern or complaints:

Reporting Concerns and Complaints site

Students can find technology assistance here.

Dual Enrollment students can find their assigned advisor in their Workday student portal under Support Network.

Yes! Students can review services on our Counseling Services webpage.

Career services are discussed on our Career Development site.

• A limited number of dual enrollment scholarships are available each semester. Preference will be given to students who receive free/reduced lunch and/or are first-generation college students.
• Students must fill out the scholarship application for each semester they are registered for a class
• Students must be registered for a class before they apply for the scholarship
• Out of County/Country students are not eligible to receive the dual enrollment scholarship
• Student must be registered for a class to be eligible for the scholarship 

View Dual Enrollment Scholarship Application

Yes! Students can find more information on our Spartan Cares website.

All students benefit from using our Learning Center.

• Students are encouraged to register as early as possible. Course selection and registration are first-come, first-served.
  • Summer and Fall course registration opens in March.
  • Spring course registration opens in October.
• Registration dates and semester details can be found on our Academic Calendar.
• Registration requirements and instructions found here.

We offer several course formats, including in the high schools.  

View Course Formats

• DE students must submit the FERPA form (signed by student, parent/guardian, and counselor); email to dualenrollment@northampton.edu 
• Students should request a copy of their high school transcript sent to dualenrollment@northampton.edu 

• Yes! Official AP/IB test scores can be used for college credit as a testing exemption and to fulfill a course prerequisite. Students must submit their Official test scores from the College Board (AP) or the International Baccalaureate (IB)
• AP / IB tests and score requirements found on our Prior Learning Assessment web page.
• Official test scores must be submitted to transcripts@northampton.edu - Please allow 7-10 days for processing
• Questions, contact NCC's PLA Office

Students should review the articulation agreements found on the PLA (Prior Learning Assessment website).

Required paperwork from the High School is required to receive articulation credit.

Complete the Student Request for Articulated Advanced College Credit form with their HS instructor; provide completed form to our PLA Office.

Yes! RSVP on our Admissions website.

You can find the course catalog at: https://catalog.northampton.edu

The academic calendar is available here:

NCC Academic Calendar

Dual Enrollment Students receive highly Reduced Tuition Rates.

Federal Financial Aid is not available to high school students. However, we encourage all high school seniors to complete the FAFSA application early during their senior year. 

View our Financial Aid website

• A limited number of dual enrollment scholarships are available each semester. Preference will be given to students who receive free/reduced lunch and/or are first-generation college students.
• Students must fill out the scholarship application for each semester they are registered for a class
• Students must be registered for a class before they apply for the scholarship
• Out of County/Country students are not eligible to receive the dual enrollment scholarship
• Student must be registered for a class to be eligible for the scholarship 
• Seniors planning to attend NCC are encouraged to apply for additional scholarships.
• Seniors should review our tuition fees and financial aid information here.

• Most affordable tuition rate!
• Over 100 Articulation/transfer agreements, including Penn State, Temple, ESU, and Many MORE! 
• Award-winning faculty! Masters and Doctorates in their field!
• Small Class sizes, 16:1
• On-Campus Housing! 
• 120+ Programs and Majors
• Personal, Professional, and Academic Resources
• Flexible course schedule, modalities, and multiple campus locations! 

View our Why NCC? webpage

• ESL students will need to contact the ESL Office for assessment,
• ESL Placement Testing web page

• All technology questions and assistance can be found on the Helpdesk website.
• Tech support includes but is not limited to:
  • Password Reset
  • Email
  • MFA (Multi-factor Authentication) set up
• IT Help Desk is available by phone, email, and chat. Contact information is on their website.