Dual Credit Program for High School Students

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley provides an opportunity for qualified high school students who are ready for university-level coursework to earn college credit while still in high school. The program is designed to give eligible high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to earn college credit in a University learning environment. Dual Credit students are graded in the same manner as are other college students and are awarded college credit upon completion of their courses. It is the student’s responsibility to work with their high school counselor and/or school administrator to ensure the credit is transcribed accordingly on their high school transcript. 

For more information contact the Office of Dual Credit Programs at (956)882-7732 or (956)665-3128. 

On-Campus Attendance or Distance Learning

Interested students are encouraged to apply for this program through their high schools.

Students seeking Dual Credit opportunities with UTRGV will have an individual academic profile created based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to:

• High School Class Rank;
• GPA;
• College Entrance Exams (SAT/ACT) (PSAT/ACT-PLAN);
• Extracurricular Activities;
• Community Involvement;

Academic profiles are created with submitted documentation and admission decisions based on that profile and accomplishments to date.  In addition, the school district must have a valid memorandum of understanding (MOU) on file with the University and students pursuing Dual Credit meet the following criteria:

• Be classified as a Junior or Senior in High School
• Graduating under the Foundation w/ Endorsement or Distinguished Plan

Dual Credit Students typically meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Ranked in the Top 20% of their class; 
• Have a 85 GPA or higher;
• Achieve an ACT Composite of 20 or higher;
• Achieve an SAT Total of 1110 (EBRW & MATH combined) or higher;
• Achieve a PSAT Section Score of 460 (EBRW) and 510 (MATH) or higher;
• Achieve a PLAN Composite of 23 or higher

Application for Dual Credit Admission

To be admitted to the Dual Credit Program, students must submit the following documents by the published deadline for the semester for which they are applying:

• Students must apply to UTRGV by submitting a Freshman application but indicate within the application that they are interested in taking college courses while in high school. The application is available at www.applytexas.org.
• Dual Credit Authorization Form
• High school transcript that includes graduation date, graduation plan type, class ranking and GPA (on a 100-point scale)
• ACT or SAT scores (if used for meeting eligibility)

Documents needed after admission:

• For all students under 22 years of age, submit proof of Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination or exemption
• Placement test scores fulfilling the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) and/or course pre-requisites. Students will not be permitted to register or will be dropped if TSI requirements are not met.

All admission documents for Dual Credit must be submitted through the University’s online document portal or in person at:

It is recommended that all documents be sent at one time. All documents submitted become the property of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Students must also meet the prerequisites for the course(s) in which they plan to enroll, if any exist. To continue participating in the Dual Credit Program, participants must earn a grade of C or higher in each University course taken.

Upon graduation from high school, Dual Credit students must submit a final high school transcript indicating:

1. The student’s graduation date and graduation plan type.
2. The student has earned all the credits required for high school graduation.
3. The student’s class rank and grade point average (on 100-point scale).

Dual Credit students who wish to continue their studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley after high school graduation will be considered for readmission upon application as Entering Freshmen and will be invited to attend Freshman Orientation.