Eligible Students. Students enrolled in the Burlington Community School District in the eleventh or twelfth grades are eligible to participate in the postsecondary enrollment plan. Students in the ninth or tenth grade who have been identified by the District as gifted and talented students are also eligible to participate in the postsecondary enrollment plan. The students must be enrolled only part-time in the postsecondary institution.
Eligible Courses. Postsecondary courses must meet all of the following conditions to be considered under this policy:
i. The course must be from an institution of higher learning under the control of the Iowa Board of Regents, from an area community college, or from an accredited private institution.
ii. The course must be a nonsectarian course.
iii. A comparable course must not be available at the Burlington High School. A “comparable course” is one in which the subject matter is similar to a course offered in the District.
iv. The course must be a credit-bearing course that can lead to an educational degree at the postsecondary institution and must be taken for credit.
v. The course must be in the discipline area of mathematics (including mathematical sciences, computer science and statistics), science (including astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, geology, physics and zoology), social sciences (including anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology and sociology), or humanities (including literature, foreign language, philosophy, civilizations and history), vocationaltechnical education, or must be a course in the career options program offered by an area community college.
vi. The course must be offered during Burlington’s normal school year; summer school courses are not eligible. However, students who have completed eleventh grade but who have not yet graduated may take up to seven (7) college semester hours of credit during the summer at their own expense and receive credit for the hours towards graduation.
vii. A Burlington Community School District high school student who wishes to take Southeastern Community College classes must perform at the proficient level (or higher) on the most recent ITBS/ITED reading comprehension and math test or its equivalent.
Application. An eligible student wishing to enroll in an eligible course pursuant to this policy must submit an approved application form to the District and must apply at the postsecondary institution. The District must certify eligibility before the provisions of this policy relating to payment of fees and credits are applicable. The student is responsible for applying and enrolling in the postsecondary institution and for informing the institution that enrollment is pursuant to the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act.
Fees. The District shall pay for each eligible course directly to the postsecondary institution the lesser of the actual and customary costs of tuition, textbooks, materials and fees charged by the postsecondary institution or $250. However, if the student fails to complete and receive credit for the course, and the student does not receive a hardship waiver from Great Prairie Area Education Agency, the student is responsible for the costs of the course.
Credit. Eligible students successfully completing eligible courses pursuant to this policy shall receive credit towards the minimum credits required for graduation using the following equations:
Withdrawal from a postsecondary course shall be subject to the same rules as withdrawal from a District course.
Transcript. The grades received from the postsecondary institution will be recorded on the student’s transcript, and will be calculated in the student’s grade point average. The grades shall not be weighted, however.
Transportation. Students and their parents and guardians shall be responsible for transportation. Transportation costs are not reimbursable.
Counseling. The guidance services of the District shall include guidance on postsecondary course enrollment under this policy.
- First Adoption:
- 2000-01-01
- Revision Adoption:
- October 9, 2005/ April 11, 2010/ April 25, 2011
- Reviewed Dates:
- April 9, 2017/ May 8, 2022
- Legal Reference:
- Chapter 261C, 282.26, Code of Iowa; 281 I.A.C. Chapter 22