Parents

In addition to earning college credit, dual credit courses offer your student several benefits:

• A smoother transition between high school and college
• First-hand exposure to college-level work while still in high school
• A chance for your child to complete a bachelor’s degree faster
• Full access to Loyola’s library, online research resources, and the IT Help Desk
• An opportunity for your child to begin their freshman year of college with college credits while they also earn credits toward high school graduation

AP courses are part of the College Board organization that requires students to take a rigorous test at the end of the course to potentially earn college credit. A dual credit course on the other hand is an official course at Loyola University Chicago. Students who complete their course satisfactorily will earn high school and college credit for their work. This credit is often transferable to any college.

Students must have the appropriate academic qualifications to be considered for Loyola's Dual Credit Program. Loyola seeks highly motivated and capable high school students who are:

• Currently enrolled in the junior or senior year of high school, and
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Sophomores enrolled in courses that are typically junior or senior level courses - courses whose majority enrollment is junior or senior level - may participate in Loyola's Dual Credit Program with an email request from the dual credit liaison (usually your high school principal, assistant principal, or guidance counselor) indicating the following:

• The designated course in question is a junior or senior level course;
• The student meets the required 3.0 unweighted GPA standard, verified by a copy of the student's high school transcript, sent by the high school liaison; and
• The student has scored in the 90th percentile or above composite score on their most recent standardized test (ACT, SAT, PSAT, MAP, IBTS, or EXPLORE), verified by copy of the official test report.

The tuition for high school students participating in Loyola's Dual Credit program is $65/credit hour. This represents approximately 10% of the tuition a typical Loyola student pays. Note: Most classes are 3-4 credit hours.

This represents an outstanding value for students who are planning on attending college.

Things to Remember

• Loyola uses an online information system, LOCUS (Loyola’s Online Connection to University Services), to help parents and families stay abreast of important enrollment and tuition information. View our LOCUS tutorial. 
• Tuition and fees are billed to students on the 15th of each month and payment is due on the 5th of the following month. Bills are e-mailed to the student’s campus (@luc.edu) address.
• You are required to enroll as a parent or guardian into Parent/Guest Access in LOCUS. Those with parent/guest access will also receive a copy of the student’s e-bill.
• Pay your bill on time. Unpaid bills can result in withdrawal from your student’s class(es).

How to Pay your Bill

Loyola offers several methods to pay your bill, so that you can choose which is most convenient for your family.

• Online—In LOCUS through electronic check or Credit Card. Credit cards are assessed a 2.95% service fee ($3.00 minimum).
• By Mail—Checks or money orders can be mailed to: 
     Loyola University Chicago
     3953 Solutions Center
     Chicago, IL 60677-3009
     Note: This address is different than Loyola’s mailing address.
• In Person—Check and cash payments can be made at both Office of the Bursar locations (Lake Shore and Water Tower Campuses). Checks should be made payable to Loyola University Chicago.

As a parent of a dual credit student, you may be wondering how you can help make this a memorable and valuable experience for your son/daughter. Here are a few ideas that you may find helpful:

• Check-in with your student to ensure they have completed all the Application Checklist steps.  Each step should take just a few minutes to complete. You can find the deadlines here: 2024-2025 Key Dates.
• Support — Given that this is likely their first experience with college-level academics, make sure that you offer plenty of encouragement and time to listen to their concerns. Acknowledge that the coursework is challenging but offers them a chance to grow and get a head start on a successful future.
• Emphasize empowerment and independence — Taking a dual credit course is really the beginning of your son/daughter's college career. With that in mind, encourage them to take the initiative when it comes to registering for class, seeking out resources, and advocating for themselves.
• Keeping up to date with your e-bill — Making sure that tuition is paid will ensure that your student receives dual credit for all their hard work. Learn more about paying tuition here.

Preparing for Loyola's Dual Credit program is one of the first steps your child will take toward their college career. Here is how to get started:

• Students can apply via Loyola's fast and free Dual Credit Application. 
• Students who meet the criteria and are admitted to the program, will then register for classes via LOCUS.
• Once tuition is paid, the student needs to remember to get their ID Card.