What is the Early College Access Program (ECAP)?

Anne Arundel County Public School Schools (AACPS) and Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) are joint sponsors of the Early College Access Programs (ECAP) which include Dual Credit and Non-Dual Credit dual enrollment options. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (“Blueprint”) statute provides ECAP funding for students who have met the College and Career Readiness (CCR) eligibility requirements. These funds are to be used to support participation at no cost to the student. Students in the 11th and 12th grades who meet the CCR designation may take college courses at no cost including tuition, fees, and course materials.  Note: students must meet AACC Admissions criteria and all course prerequisites to enroll in the college courses.

ECAP is designed to allow eligible high school students to explore college-level coursework in a variety of academic areas that align with a college degree. This also includes opportunities for students who are interested in a non-credit career certificate or license program or non-credit courses that are a part of certificate programs related to a school’s Signature theme. This college-level coursework can complete the academic day for approved high school students who are progressing towards graduation or provide the opportunity to study subject matter that is of interest to the student more broadly.

Starting with the Fall semester of SY 2024-2025, eligibility requirements have been updated.

If you have a student who is not 16 years of age, go to the FAQ for more information.

STARTING 2024-2025 CURRENT CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS (CCR) DESIGNATION FROM MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Eligibility requirements to take college courses at no cost

Eligible students:

• AACPS students in the 11th or 12th grade, and designated College and Career Ready (CCR), may take a maximum of four college courses per year at no cost.
• AACPS students in the 11th or 12th grade, not designated as CCR, with a minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0, may take a maximum of one college course per semester (Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer) at no cost.
• AACPS students in the 11th or 12th grade with a cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.0 or better, may take the designated college courses aligned to their high school's Signature pathway at no cost.

Students not meeting the eligibility criteria above may request a 25% tuition discount from AACC.  Please visit the Community College's ECAP site for more information.  

Signature Program Students

Signature programs are a pipeline to College and Career Readiness designed to eliminate schoolwide opportunity gaps. Students, regardless of their current or prior enrollment in Signature Explorations 1 and/or 2, may take AACC courses as part of a high school's Signature-aligned Pathway at no cost provided that:

• they meet the individual AACC course prerequisites
• they have a 2.0 cumulative unweighted GPA or better
• they are at least 16 years old

The specific Signature-related AACC courses are the only courses offered to students through this differentiated eligibility criteria.

Select Courses Available for the ECAP Program 24-25

Eligible students have the opportunity to take college courses approved by AACPS as for Dual Enrollment, some of which qualify for Dual Credit, at no cost. These courses are reviewed annually, and the 2024-2025 AACPS approved AACC course listing is available here.

Dual Credit Grading Policy for Fall 2024-2025 and Beyond

The Early College Access Program (ECAP) provides students with the opportunity to register for college courses through Anne Arundel Community College at no cost. Designated courses may fulfill both college and high school credit requirements. Before registering for college courses for dual credit, students must obtain approval from the school principal.

Grading Criteria:

• Students who receive an AACC (Anne Arundel Community College) course grade of 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' will be awarded the corresponding letter grade on the high school transcript.
• Students must maintain a good academic standing with AACC with a letter grade of a C or better to be successful in a college course.
• An AACC course grade of 'F', 'FX' or 'I' will be converted to an AACPS (Anne Arundel County Public Schools) grade of 'E' on the high school transcript.
• High school transcripts will reflect high school credit for passing grades and no credit for 'F', 'FX', or 'I' grades. These courses will be factored into the student's high school GPA. Students who fail to complete an AACC course successfully will not earn credit towards high school graduation requirements through dual credit.
• Grades earned in college courses through dual credit will be calculated into the high school transcript as a standard (unweighted) grade.

When Students Do Not Pass a Course at Anne Arundel Community College

AACPS will not approve payment for additional college classes for students who do not achieve a grade of C or higher in a completed college class unless the student can demonstrate extenuating circumstances. In such cases, the student and their family must submit a formal request to the Assistant Superintendent of College and Career Readiness.

AACC Course Descriptions

A complete list of AACC course descriptions and programs can be found here.

AACPS approved AACC courses can be found here.

Transfer of AACC courses to 4-year university/college

ARTSYS is a system that allows students and advisors to predict how each community college course will transfer to any 4-year public institution in Maryland.  This can help students plan which courses to take at AACC to prepare for a smooth transfer to a student's school of choice.

Visit AACC's Transfer web page to learn more.

Steps to Complete the ECAP Process:

Eligible AACPS Students enrolling in AACC courses through the Early College Access Program may access college courses at no cost in accordance with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Please contact your AACPS counselor to see if you meet eligibility criteria.  

Below are the steps to register for an AACC class:

1. Complete AACC Application.  

1. 1. 1. Visit AACC’s ECAP webpage for dual enrollment admission criteria and application procedures. 
      2. Save your AACC ID#, AACC username, and the password you created so you can log-in to MyAACC to register later. 

      2. Select a course approved by AACPS.  

2. 1. 1. Visit AACC’s course search to select times/days that work with your school schedule. If you need help with this, please contact AACC’s Admissions Officer for your school.  
      2. If you or your course do not qualify for this funding, you may still register for an AACC course(s) and receive a 25% tuition discount.  

3. Complete the Early College Access Program Application and receive principal approval.

   Notes:

• • You will need your AACC ID to complete the form.
  • Finalized forms will be returned to students approximately 10 workdays after submission.
  • Approval must occur prior to registration or funds will not be provided.

4. The ECAP portal does not enroll a student in AACC courses – students must register for AACC course(s) online.  Visit MyAACC to register for college class(es).

Note: If a college course requires placement scores, students may need to submit a transcript, SAT, ACT, or other test scores to AACC’s Records and Registration office (records@aacc.edu.)  Students may also schedule through AACC to take the Accuplacer by visiting www.aacc.edu/resources/academic-services/testing/.

5. If a student with disabilities wishes to disclose a disability, they must work with AACC’s Disability Support Services (DSS) to establish  accommodation(s) at AACC.

Note: Accommodations for college classes may be different from those provided by AACPS. 

Do you have Questions? Please visit our FAQ page here.