PHSC dual enrollment policies create barriers, students face setbacks
Concerns were raised December 8 that Pasco Hernando State College dual enrollment practices are creating unfair barriers for high school students, particularly around credit acceptance, advising, and access to course materials. These gaps matter to Hernando County because they can delay college progress, increase costs, and deepen educational inequities for vulnerable students.
Advocates and observers raised concerns December 8 about Pasco Hernando State College dual enrollment policies that they say are leaving some Hernando County students without the support and recognition needed to translate early college coursework into meaningful progress. The column highlighted recurring problems with transfer and credit acceptance, inconsistent advising, and barriers to accessing required course materials, and called on the college to revise practices to ensure equitable outcomes.
Dual enrollment is meant to reduce cost and time to degree by allowing high school students to earn college credit. When credits do not transfer smoothly, or when students lack consistent advising that aligns high school schedules with college requirements, the promised benefits evaporate. Access to textbooks and digital course materials was also flagged as a frequent hurdle, with consequences that extend beyond academics into students financial stability and mental health.
For Hernando County families the effects can be immediate and practical. Students who must repeat courses or delay degree milestones face extra tuition, lost time, and increased stress. Those burdens fall disproportionately on low income students, first generation college hopefuls, and families with limited access to transportation and technology. Those are precisely the groups that dual enrollment aims to help, and failures in implementation risk widening existing gaps in educational attainment.
Policy responses could include clearer and standardized credit articulation agreements, proactive advising that is coordinated with local high schools, guaranteed access to required course materials at low or no cost, and transparent data tracking on dual enrollment outcomes. Strengthening partnerships between the college and Hernando County School District would help identify where breakdowns occur and how to target support for students most at risk of falling behind.
The concerns put responsibility on Pasco Hernando State College leadership to act, and on local education leaders to demand transparency and accountability. Ensuring dual enrollment fulfills its promise is not only an educational imperative, it is a matter of equity. Without timely administrative action, the county risks making higher education less attainable for the students who need it most.
