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How Do States Fund Community College Dual Enrollment?
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Authors: Davis Jenkins, Jessie Steiger, John Fink | Last Updated: October 21, 2025
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About the data
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This spreadsheet provides a state-by-state analysis of state policies for funding dual enrollment (DE) at community colleges. The information provided is intended to facilitate comparisons among states and identify where funding structures enable colleges to offer dual enrollment as a true on-ramp to postsecondary and career opportunity. For more information on the rationale for this analysis, see this blog. We classify each state along three dimensions:
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1. Funding Level2. Funding Mechanism3. Funding Flow
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High, medium, and low based on whether state funding offsets the revenue colleges lose by offering DE tuition-free or at a discount.Whether support is delivered through formula funding, grants and other discretionary funding, a combination, or neither (for states that provide no funding). Formula funding is predictable and allows colleges to plan strategically, while grants must be reauthorized and are more vulnerable to cuts when budgets tighten.Among states that provide funding to colleges for DE through a formula, whether dollars go directly to colleges or are routed through K-12 systems. When funds flow through K-12 schools, colleges may face resistance, as districts may hesitate to share scarce resources. A few states use a combination approach.
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The sources of data on each state are listed in the worksheet labeled "Sources."
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Classifying state funding policies is complex, and details can change over time. We recognize that some of our categorizations may be incomplete or out of date. We invite readers—especially state and institutional leaders—to review our taxonomy and the accompanying spreadsheet, and share corrections or additional information that could make this analysis more accurate and useful. Please send your corrections and updates to Davis Jenkins (pdj2102@tc.columbia.edu), Jessica Steiger (jls2389@tc.columbia.edu), and John Fink (john.fink@tc.columbia.edu) at CCRC.