Early College: Free College for High School Students

Students in grades K-12 may enroll at College of the Desert (COD) to pursue advanced scholastic or vocational education [Education Code 48800(a)]. All K-12 students attending COD for the first-time must complete all matriculation steps, which include: online application, K12 enrollment authorization form, online orientation, and add course form. Continued enrollment in subsequent semesters will only require submission of the add course form.

Students enrolled as Early College Students have the option of taking COD courses at their high school or at any COD location, including online.

Taking Courses at Your High School

College of the Desert has partnered with the following public-school systems to offer COD courses at local high school campuses through a College and Career Access Pathways Agreement (CCAP):

  • Coachella Valley Unified School District
  • Desert Sands Unified School District
  • Palm Springs Unified School District
  • Riverside Office of Education
  • Nova Academy Early College High School
  • Altus Schools

These agreements allow students to take COD courses at their high school campus, during the school day, and earn both college and high school credit at the same time.

To participate in COD’s Early College Program at Your High School, students must complete all matriculation steps listed below. Enrollment in courses at your high school is based on the student course request process at each individual high school. When seeking enrollment in a course offered at a specific high school, students should work with their high school counselor to identify the appropriate course to take and the required registration process. To see what courses are offered at your school, please visit our Early College for High School Students webpage under the Admissions tab at www.collegofthedesert.edu.

All courses offered at a high school site, during the high school day, are free of charge for students. This includes tuition, student fees, and course materials. K-12 Students taking courses at their high school site may be permitted to enroll in up to 15 units. The Director of Educational Partnerships may make exceptions, subject to consideration and approval.

Taking Courses at College of the Desert

All K-12 students are eligible to take courses at COD, even if they do not attend one of the schools or school districts listed above. If a specific course that a student would like to take is not offered at their high school, or if a student’s high school does not have a current CCAP agreement with COD, the student is still eligible to participate in COD’s Early College Program.

To participate, students must complete all matriculation steps listed below. Once all matriculation steps are complete, K-12 students will be permitted to enroll in a COD course during open enrollment. Open enrollment dates can be found on the COD website. Registration in all COD courses is based on a first-come, first serve basis, and K12 students will be permitted to enroll if the requested course still has open seats.

To best understand degree requirements and the appropriate courses that a student should take, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with a COD counselor. This can be done by calling 760-773-2521. Once students have identified which COD course they would like to take, students will need to submit an add course form to the Early College Office. This request will then be communicated to Admissions and Records and the student will be enrolled permitted there is still space in the course.   

K-12 students who take courses at a COD site do not need to pay tuition for the course, but may be required to pay for student fees and course materials. K-12 Students taking courses at a COD site may be permitted to enroll in up to 11 units. The Director of Educational Partnerships may make exceptions, subject to consideration and approval.

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in any of the Early College Programs at COD, students must:

  • Be in the 9th-12th grade (special permission given to younger student based on program)
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress at COD and at High School
  • Submit a College of the Desert Application
  • Submit a K12 enrollment authorization form, which includes school and parent consent

Matriculation Steps

COD Courses at Your High School (see Early College Webpage for more details)

  1. Meet with your high school counselor to determine if a COD course will fit in your high school schedule
  2. Complete COD application
  3. Complete K-12 Authorization form
  4. Complete online orientation
  5. Enroll in COD course (done by submitting your name to your high school counselor)
  6. Attend welcome session (available in person at your high school site or online)

COD Courses at a COD Location (see Early College Webpage for details)

  1. Complete COD application
  2. Complete K-12 Authorization form
  3. Complete online orientation
  4. Meet with COD Counselor to identify appropriate courses
  5. Enroll in COD course (done by submitting an add course form)
  6. Attend welcome session (available in person at COD locations and online)

College Credits

Students will earn college credit applied to COD certificate and/or degree programs for all courses completed with a C or better. In some cases, a grade of a D will allow a student to earn college credit, but students should seek counseling services to understand how a D could impact their progress towards degree completion. Under certain conditions, credits earned are transferable to CSU’s and UC’s. Students should always consult with a COD counselor to understand degree and transfer requirements.

Students can earn credit towards their high school diploma upon successful completion of COD courses. Students should always consult with their high school counselor to understand which COD courses can be applied towards their high school diploma. The high school of attendance always maintains the right to apply course credits earned by the student towards the student’s high school diploma.

Removal From an Early College Program

Students can be removed from any of COD’s Early College Programs for any of the following reasons:

  • Failure to meet student conduct standards
  • Two consecutive semesters of not meeting satisfactory academic progress at COD
  • Written removal of consent from parent or high school of attendance

Important Student Records Considerations

Early College students are enrolled in a college course. As such, the instructor works directly with the student. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), instructors are not required to discuss student performance or other student-related issues with parents/guardians. Written student consent is required for access and release of information defined as educational records in federal and state law as described in College of the Desert Board Policy 5040. More information about the federal regulation may be found at Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).