Twin enrollment is surging, providing highschool college students a solution to earn faculty credit score and scale back schooling prices at a time when the worth of school is below debate. However variations in requirements and credit score switch practices imply some credit don’t depend, leaving college students with incomplete pathways to levels or careers.
As participation rises, the problem is not only entry, however alignment. With out shared requirements and interoperable credentialing methods, college students can face roadblocks when transferring between excessive faculties, schools or into the workforce. Rising approaches in digital requirements and verifiable credentials intention to create clearer pathways and assist make sure that each credit score has worth.
Promise of Twin Enrollment Packages
Twin enrollment has grown quickly, permitting college students to earn faculty credit score as early as their sophomore 12 months. A current report from Jobs for the Future and the School in Excessive College Alliance discovered that twin enrollment, significantly in profession and technical education schemes, helps college students modify to college-level work and real-world expectations in a supportive setting.
College students who earn substantial faculty credit score earlier than commencement are likely to have higher educational outcomes, increased persistence and better commencement charges than their friends. However a serious impediment stays: Not all credit switch or depend towards levels, leaving many college students wanting their targets.
The Credit score Switch Problem
Twin enrollment is simply as useful because the credit college students can truly use. If a university or college doesn’t acknowledge or settle for credit earned in highschool, college students can face disappointment and added prices.
A 2025 Public Agenda survey discovered that almost 40 p.c of respondents had tried to switch faculty credit score. Of these, 58 p.c misplaced some credit alongside the way in which, 24 p.c mentioned just a few or none of their credit transferred, and one in 5 needed to retake lessons they’d already handed. In all, 65 p.c reported a minimum of one damaging expertise, highlighting simply how widespread and expensive these switch limitations might be.
Why does this occur? The content material and rigor of programs can differ between excessive faculties and schools, and even throughout increased schooling establishments. With out shared requirements or methods to confirm competencies, it’s arduous for schools to evaluate which credit actually depend.
Rising instruments that outline and confirm educational requirements may help bridge these gaps. By clarifying what college students are anticipated to know and have the ability to do, such frameworks make it simpler for schools to acknowledge credit and for college kids to believe that their work will depend. Approaches just like the TrustEd Credential Framework use digital requirements and verifiable credentials to create extra predictable pathways from highschool to varsity and, finally, into the workforce.
Georgia Leveraging Requirements For Readability
Georgia gives an instance of how shared requirements can enhance readability and credit score switch. The Georgia Division of Schooling (GaDOE) developed SuitCASE, the state’s digital platform for managing and distributing Okay-12 studying requirements. SuitCASE makes use of the Competencies and Educational Requirements Trade (CASE) technical customary to make their educational requirements machine-readable and shareable throughout studying platforms and methods. As a result of CASE is extensible, the state may also align Okay-12 requirements with increased schooling and workforce expectations, serving to college students navigate smoother pathways from college to varsity and profession.
“Finally, this course of goals to exhibit that curricula might be verified digitally, making the switch of credit towards diploma completion extra dependable,” mentioned Dr. Keith Osburn, chief data officer and deputy superintendent for know-how companies at GaDOE. “Moreover, it’s important to establish and tackle any gaps within the curriculum, making certain it turns into extra complete and aligned with the required abilities and diploma necessities that result in higher-paying jobs and extra fulfilling careers.”
CASE is already broadly adopted: 19 states host their very own CASE servers, and all 50 states have core requirements out there in CASE format. The following breakthrough will come when increased schooling curricula are additionally revealed in CASE. This step will allow data-informed twin enrollment, quicker progress to diploma and better pupil mobility.
Verifiable Competencies
The College of Georgia (UGA) now gives each pupil with a Complete Learner File (CLR), a digital credential that integrates coursework with co-curricular actions. This file showcases validated competencies and achievements in a customizable, visible format, serving to college students talk their strengths to high schools, employers and graduate applications. The method follows the CLR Commonplace, which gives a framework for capturing and sharing pupil studying achievements.
“On the College of Georgia, we all know our graduates are already growing important abilities like crucial considering, management, and communication,” mentioned Marisa Anne Pagnattaro, UGA’s vp for instruction and senior vice provost for tutorial planning. “The Complete Learner File will give college students a solution to mirror on and clearly talk these competencies. By capturing the abilities gained inside and outdoors the classroom, this modern digital credential will make it simpler to convey their worth to future employers.”
By structuring pupil achievements in a verifiable, standardized format, the college is laying a basis for aligning with broader requirements frameworks
Making Each Credit score Depend
Twin enrollment ought to provide greater than only a head begin; it ought to present actual progress towards a university diploma or profession. When credit are moveable and credentials are clear, college students don’t have to fret about retaking lessons or beginning over at a brand new establishment.
Rising improvements make it potential to construct clear, skill-based education-to-career pathways that empower learners and strengthen the workforce. As extra states and universities undertake data-informed, standards-aligned methods, college students usually tend to have each credit score depend, each ability acknowledged and a clearer path to success.
Constructing pathways that work for each learner takes collaboration. Be taught extra about digital credentials, pupil mobility and digital curriculum verification levers within the 1EdTech group. Be part of us on the 1EdTech Digital Credentials Summit in Philadelphia, February 18-20, 2026.
