Homeschool Opportunities

Step 1: Complete a SOWELA online visiting student admissions application (opens new window).

Special Notes for Completing the Online Admissions Application:

• Click "Sign Up" (under "Don't have an account yet?") using a unique email address. Fill out the personal information and account email/username and password boxes.
• Once your email address is verified, please sign into your admissions application account and select the appropriate upcoming term. Hit Apply Now to begin the online admissions application.
• Please be sure to select "currently enrolled in high school" and "yes" to “Will you still be in high school when starting classes?” to be coded as a high school Dual Enrollment eligible student.
• All dual enrollment students must select Non-Degree as their upcoming Major. Please choose the campus you will be attending. If you will be attending online courses only or courses taught on your high school campus, please select Main Campus.

Step 2: Complete the Following:

• Email dualenrollment@sowela.edu to request a Dual Enrollment Course Request Form (juniors and/or seniors) or STEPS/STAIRS Course Request Form (for seniors only).
• Complete the appropriate Course Request Form every term you wish to be enrolled. While a student only needs to apply for enrollment online once, students must submit a Dual Enrollment or STEPS/STAIRS Course Request Form for each term/semester of enrollment.
• Student and Parent/Custodian/Guardian Instructions: Complete Section I with a parent/custodian/guardian. After filling out student information, student and parent/custodian/guardian must print, sign, and date at the end of Section I.
• Parents/Custodians/Guardians of homeschool students shall also complete Section II of the Course Request Form. List courses needed by the high school student to complete graduation requirements. Your signature verifies that the courses listed will be applied to/fulfill the student's graduation requirements and authorizes SOWELA to enroll the student in the listed courses.
• Please scan and email the Course Request Form, high school transcript, and ACT/ACCUPLACER Next Generation scores as a PDF document to dualenrollment@sowela.edu.
• An advising appointment may be scheduled by reaching out to the Dual Enrollment Office via email and the required admissions documents may be submitted in person.

Dual Enrollment

• All students must be enrolled at a participating (as evidenced by a current CEA) public or private high school within one of the parishes/districts served by SOWELA or a BESE-approved home study program.
• High school juniors must be at least 16 years old by September 30th of their junior year. High school seniors must be at least 17 years old, and no more than 18 years old, by September 30th of their senior year.
• Students must have permission from a designee from their high school and their parent/guardian to participate in Dual Enrollment. Parents may act as the designee for BESE-approved home study programs.
• Students must submit a high school transcript with a calculated GPA based on a 4.00 grading system.
• Students must be enrolled in college courses for which dual credit (both college and high school credit) is attempted and recorded on both the student's secondary and postsecondary academic records.
• Students enrolled in courses with school board credentialed instructors that meet at any SOWELA instructional site must also satisfy the following requirements:
  • Students must have no more than three disciplinary actions during their last school year noted in their high school records.
  • Students must have no more than ten (10) unexcused absences during their last school year noted in their high school records.
• The standard maximum credit hours for Dual Enrollment students are eight (8) credit hours per semester.
• All dual enrollment students have a registrar's hold placed on their student accounts to prevent unauthorized registration, schedule changes, or withdrawals. All requests for registration and/or schedule changes must be submitted to the Dual Enrollment Coordinator for processing by the Registrar's Office. Additionally, course withdrawals require permission from the student's home high school and the College.
• All senior dual enrollment students must complete all core requirements needed for high school graduation prior to the spring semester of their senior year, unless the core requirement is being fulfilled at the parish/district school or a BESE-approved home study program.
• To remain a participant in the Dual Enrollment program, students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses taken for college credit.

STEPS/STAIRS

• All students must be enrolled as a senior at a participating (as evidenced by a current CEA) public or private high school within one of the parishes/districts (must have a STEPS agreement with SOWELA) served by SOWELA or a BESE-approved home study program. Homeschool students must submit a valid BESE Home Study Approval letter.
• Graduating seniors must be pursuing a school-approved diploma (Career, LA Core 4, or Basic Core).
• High school seniors must be at least 17 years old, and no more than 18 years old, by September 30th of their senior year.
• Students must have permission from a designee from their high school and their parent/ guardian to participate in Dual Enrollment. Parents may act as the designee for BESE-approved home study programs.
• Students must submit a high school transcript with a calculated GPA based on a 4.00 grading system. To enroll in the STEPS program students must have a 2.5 GPA.
• Students must be enrolled in college courses for which dual credit (both college and high school credit) is attempted and recorded on both the student's secondary and postsecondary academic records.
• Students enrolled in courses with school board credentialed instructors that meet at any SOWELA instructional site must also satisfy the following requirements:
  • Students must have no more than three disciplinary actions during their last school year noted in their high school records.
  • Students must have no more than ten (10) unexcused absences during their last school year noted in their high school records.
• Upon admission, STEPS students must have a maximum of four core courses remaining to meet high school graduation requirements.
• All STEPS students have a registrar's hold placed on their student accounts to prevent unauthorized registration schedule changes or withdrawals. All requests for registration and/or schedule changes must be submitted to the Dual Enrollment Coordinator for processing by the Registrar's Office. Additionally, course withdrawals require permission from the student's home high school and the College.
• Students participating in STEPS must enroll in a minimum of twelve (12) semester credit hours of courses in each of the fall and spring semesters. Students may carry a maximum course load of 15 credit hours each semester. Each semester a minimum of nine (9) credit hours of coursework must be taken at the SOWELA main campus in Lake Charles.
• All STEPS students must complete all core requirements needed for high school graduation prior to the spring semester of their senior year, unless the core requirement is being fulfilled at the parish/district school or a BESE-approved home study program.
• To remain a participant in the STEPS program, students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses taken for college credit.

Additional Requirements for the Technical Courses

• Students must meet all eligibility requirements that may be imposed by their home school district including, but not limited to, minimum scores on the ASPIRE, Pre-ACT, ACT, or WorkKeys Tests. Only ACT and Next Generation ACCUPLACER scores can be used to satisfy prerequisite or test score requirements for course entry.
• Students must meet course-specific prerequisites including, but not limited to, appropriate scores on either the ACT or Next-Generation ACCUPLACER exam.
• SOWELA follows ACT recommendations that the ASPIRE and Pre-ACT scores do not replace the ACT. If a student has taken the ACT, the ACT score must be used as the placement measure.

Additional Requirements for General Education and Other Courses on the Board of Regents Matrix

• Students must have and maintain a high school grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.00 system.
• SOWELA uses Louisiana Board of Regents guidance in Academic Affairs Policy 2.22 for placement in Dual Enrollment courses. The current standard is that any student that scores an 18 on the English ACT exam (or comparable score on another authorized test) may enroll in Humanities and Social Sciences. Any student that scores a 20 on the MATH ACT (or comparable score on another authorized test) may enroll in a Science or Mathematics course.
• According to the Louisiana Board of Regents, a senior high school student may need developmental coursework in one content area only (English or Math). If one of the corequisite model courses is needed by a senior dual enrollment student, the course must be successfully completed with a “C” or better prior to the spring semester of that student's senior year. Students may not take both a corequisite MATH and a corequisite English in the same semester. The following guidelines are used to determine possible placement.
  • MATH 1000 Applied Algebra Prerequisites: Math score of at least 19 on the ACT, an equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, or Pre-ACT.
  • MATH 1006 Applied Algebra (6-Hour Format) Prerequisites: Math score below 19 on the ACT, an equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, or Pre-ACT.
  • MATH 1100 College Algebra Prerequisites: Math score of at least 21 on the ACT or equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, Pre-ACT.
  • MATH 1106 College Algebra (6-Hour Format) Prerequisites: Math score below 20 on the ACT or equivalent score on NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, Pre-ACT.
  • MATH 1115 College Algebra (5-Hour Format) Prerequisites: Math score of at least 17 on the ACT, an equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, Pre-ACT.
  • ENGL 1010 English Composition I Prerequisites: English score of at least 18 on the Writing portion, an equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, or Pre-ACT.
  • ENGL 1014 English Composition I (4-Hour Format) Prerequisites: English score of at least 16 on the ACT, an equivalent score on the NG ACCUPLACER, SAT, or Pre-ACT
  • ENGL 1016 English Composition I (6-Hour Format) Prerequisites: Placement is based on ACT, NG ACCUPLACER, SAT scores, or Pre-ACT.
• Availability of corequisite courses varies between SOWELA’s Dual Enrollment partners. Please check with school counselors or SOWELA’s Dual Enrollment Office what is available.
• Students must meet course-specific prerequisites including, but not limited to, appropriate scores on either the ACT or Next-Generation ACCUPLACER exam.