ACC Dual Credit

Austin Community College offers college classes to qualified high school students here on Bowie's campus for juniors and seniors. Dual Credit classes are taught by college faculty using the same lessons and expectations other college students receive. You can take general education/core curriculum classes like English and Government your senior year and US History your junior year.

ACC Dual Credit Courses offered here at Bowie: 

Summer & Fall 2025 Registration Information:

Students must complete this process to enroll in a Dual Credit course offered through ACC. Please keep in mind Bowie has earlier deadlines from ACC because students must receive approval each semester to take an ACC course. Students who miss the Bowie deadline will not be able to register. Please follow the steps listed above.

• Attend a Mandatory FIT Info Session (Jan. 27-31)- This is a required session for all NEW and RETURNING students. This session is held in advance to ensure students understand all aspects of taking a dual credit course and what it could mean for their future. This mandatory session will provide information about registration steps, deadlines, fees, etc. Students are only required to attend 1 session held during the week listed above. Sign up for these sessions can be found in the FIT portal.
• Complete Steps 1-6  - New students must complete all the steps listed above to ensure they can successfully enroll in an ACC course.  Returning students must ensure their scores meet the requirements for eligibility.  They also must complete steps 1, 5, and 6. 
• Meet testing requirements - Bowie will be hosting Texas Success Initiative (TSI) testing sessions for those students who don't meet the testing requirements on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT. Please see the flyer below for specific score requirements. (Bowie TSI dates for 9 - 11th grade will be emailed soon)

Registration Deadlines

Frequently Asked Questions

When are classes offered?

You can take Austin Community College classes during the Fall and Spring semester here at Bowie. If you choose to take a class during the summer, you can choose which class, campus, and time to take the ACC course.  Classes at Bowie are limited and only available during the offered times. 

Can I take one semester of US History at ACC during the summer and the other semester at Bowie?

No. Students may not "mix" a high school semester with a semester of dual credit. The course must be completed at Bowie or at ACC during the summer.

ACC's deadline says I have longer to complete the registration process, why do I have to submit my forms so early?

Each semester Ms. Valverde has to submit your documents to ACC for approval to take a Summer or Fall course. To ensure you can take the course and be approved by the deadline, we want everyone's information at the same time so we can send a full report to ACC. That will also give us time to make sure you completed all necessary steps on the ACC side in time for you to register.  Summer classes at ACC fill up pretty quickly so we also want to make sure you have enough time to register for a class before it fills up.

*We cannot add any students to a full ACC course whether it's offered at Bowie or on ACC's campus. Class size requirements are set by ACC. If a course doesn't have enough students, ACC can decide to cancel that course. (another reason why we want to have all information in early so you have time to create a "plan b" for that particular course you had in mind). 

Please also keep in mind that students must receive approval for each semester they are wanting to take a course.  So if a student is approved for Summer classes it doesn't automatically grant approval for a course offered during the Fall semester and so forth.   

If I plan to take a UT OnRamps course are the steps the same?  

No. These steps are only if you plan to take a course through ACC. Check in with your counselor about the classes you can take through UT OnRamps.

What steps do I repeat if I take a dual credit class next semester?

Each semester requires you to attend a mandatory FIT session to make sure you don't miss any important updates from ACC. You also must complete the participation form each semester so approval can be sent to ACC. All documents for approval for Fall and Summer courses must be submitted by March 29th. No items will be accepted after this date.

Can I take a course online?

Dual Credit students may take Distance Learning courses with the approval of your high school counselor and parent, but it is important to understand that these courses maintain the same high standards as a classroom course and require significant self-discipline in order to complete them successfully. 

Do I need to re-enroll at ACC after I finish high school?

No. You do not need to repeat the ACC admissions process once you have completed it. You will need to submit a new high school transcript to reflect your graduation date before you can register for any more ACC courses.

What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.  Students own their college academic records; therefore, academic records may not be released to a parent or guardian without a student's written consent. 

Will my accommodations that I have at Bowie automatically follow me to ACC for my dual credit courses?  

No, students who currently receive accommodations at Bowie will also need to apply for accommodations through ACC.  Please visit their website for more information: https://www.austincc.edu/students/student-accessibility-services-and-assistive-technology/dual-credit.