How does MCPS determine what high schools will receive the College Institute program? How many students may be impacted by the loophole in the Dream Act that may impact their ability to receive in-state tuition?

Question#: 3

BUDGET PAGE REFERENCE: 4-35

ANSWER:

All MCPS high schools are able to offer college courses through a concurrent enrollment program. High school students who meet enrollment qualifications are able to take college courses from any postsecondary institution which has concurrent enrollment programs. Currently, the majority of MCPS comprehensive high schools, in addition to RICA, have students enrolled in college courses. 

College Institute is one type of concurrent enrollment program.  The College Institute is offered at four MCPS high schools: Gaithersburg, John F. Kennedy, Seneca Valley, and Thomas S. Wotton.  These four high schools were included in the original Memorandum of Understanding with Montgomery College, established in 2002, to offer college courses on the high school campuses.  

Testimony provided on behalf of the Gaithersburg Cluster estimates that 20 students in the cluster may be impacted by the Dream Act loophole. However, MCPS does not keep data on undocumented students and there is no official data available on how many students may be impacted by the loophole in the Dream Act. Higher education institutions identify undocumented students based on information they collect during the college application process.  The number of undocumented students from each college or university is not reported to MCPS.