Frequently Asked Questions

What is Advanced Southern Credit (ASC)?

ASC is a program in which high school classes are aligned with SOU so that they can be awarded college course credit. Qualified instructors whose courses have been approved by their supervising department at Southern Oregon University deliver ASC classes on their high school campus.

Generally, these courses are offered as semester or year-long courses, and align with up to four SOU credits per ASC registration period. For instance: a year long AP Composition class could align with 4 credits of WR121 credit in the Fall, and another 4 credits of WR122 credit in the Winter, for a total of 8 credits (2 college courses worth of credit). Considering that a full-time college student typically earns 12 credits per 10-week term for a full class schedule, a high school student already entering college with 8 transcripted credits has quite a head start!

What's the benefit of registering for ASC credits?

Advanced Southern Credit can be helpful if you are planning on going to college in the future. Right now, while still in high school, you can take classes that can apply to your future college coursework. These credits are available to you now at a greatly reduced tuition rate over what you will pay as a fully-enrolled college student. You may save time working toward your undergraduate degree, and you and your family can save money.

How and When do I register for ASC credits?

Your high school teacher will tell you if your class is aligned with SOU for ASC credit. Only students who are currently taking an aligned course at their high school (and plan to complete that class) can register for the corresponding ASC credit. Students are only permitted to register for the credit that corresponds to classes they are actually enrolled in. 

When it's time to register, your teacher will provide you with your unique class CRN (course reference number) for the available credtis and a flyer with instructions for how to register online. They can also answer some basic questions about ASC, or refer you to our office for answers. 

Once you know your class is aligned with SOU, have your CRN, and your instructor has shared the registration flyer, you can log into our registration portal found on this page, and register.

Do I only need to register once during the school year to receive all the available credits for my class?

Most (but not all) ASC classes align with more than one SOU course worth of credit.

If your class at the high school is a year-long class, there is likely another section of credit you will register for a couple of months after you register for the first section. Your teacher knows this information and can tell you how many total credits your class is worth and when to register for the next section of credit. 

(For example: your year-long Pre-Calculus class at your high school may align with SOU for both MTH111 and MTH112 credits. In this case, you would register for the MTH111 credits in the Fall, and then register for the MTH112 credits in the Winter if you are still taking the course with the same instructor and are doing well in the course.)

What is the difference between ASC credit and taking the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam for my course?

If your ASC-aligned high school class is an AP class, your teacher will let you know whether you will be required to take the AP exam, whether it will be counted as part of your class grade, and whether taking the exam is optional if you are registered for the ASC credits.

With the SOU credit through the ASC program, students graduate from high school with college credits already recorded on a university transcript. That credit is listed with a letter grade that the teacher issues for the level of mastery the student has demonstrated through assignments, activities, and evaluations during the 10-18 week delivery of the aligned coursework. That credit and the grade earned is immediately transcripted after grades post and can be shared by ordering unofficial or official SOU transcripts. 

An AP exam score is based solely on a several hour exam taken at the end of the year and doesn't reflect student effort and coursework throughout the year. Taking the AP test earns you a score from 1-5 upon which the universities you apply to can use to make an evaluation about how much (if any) credit they will give you for that particular score. The AP Exam is administered through the College Board and registered for/paid for through their website. 

SOU credit and the AP Exam are not mutually exclusive! Some high schools require AP students to complete one or the other, sometimes high schools give the option to do both. Registering for both ASC credit and taking the AP Exam provides students the best chance at making sure their future institutions will accept the class for articulated credit.

Why would I want to register for college credits while I'm still in high school?

We've found that high school students enroll in college courses for a variety of reasons.
Some of these reasons are:

• I'm interested in getting a head start on required college coursework.
• These courses could save me and my family future tuition expenses.
• Already having college credits on my academic resume could look good for future college admissions and/or scholarship applications.
• I’m in an ASC-aligned AP class at my high school and am not feeling confident about my test taking skills. I’d rather be able to show my future schools a transcripted grade I earned in the class than just my AP test score.

How do I get my ASC grades to send to my future University?

Please see our Transcripts Ordering page. 

How do I view my grades just because I want to see them?

Please see our Transcripts viewing page. 

How much do I pay for Advanced Southern Credit?

For Fall, Winter, Spring 2022-23 the ASC courses cost $50 per credit hour, or $200 dollars per 4-credit course. That's over a 75% discount on the cost of the regular tuition rate, and is exempt from student fees. Considering that a 2022-23 state-funded undergraduate tuition for a 4-credit course can be over $1,300, ASC offers substantial savings to the student and their family! This steep discount in credit costs can add up to save you time and money once you matriculate to your future college institution.

Some of our partner schools also work with us to provide even further reduced rates to their students that qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. Information about which classes at your school are aligned with SOU for ASC credit, eligibility for Free and Reduced Lunch rates, and how to register for that credit can be obtained from your high school or through our office.

How do I know what ASC course to register for?

At the beginning of the registration process, your high school teacher will tell you if your class is aligned with SOU for ASC credit.

When it's time to register, they will provide you with your class CRN (course reference number) and a flyer about how to register online through our office. They can also guide you on how to register for course credits as well as answer some basic questions about ASC. Only students who are taking an aligned class at their high school (and plan to complete that class) can register for the corresponding ASC credit.

Still not sure if your class is supposed to register for ASC credits? Every SOU term, our department publishes an ASC course list. Please view our main ASC webpage for that list. 

Can I still register for ASC credit if I just missed the deadline? 

Deadlines for registration are communicated to the high school students through the registration flyer provided by their ASC teachers.

Requests for late registration are considered on a case-by-case basis and are strictly limited to the first week after the registration deadline at the latest. No retroactive registration for past terms or school years is possible. 

Some ASC courses are aligned with two terms worth of credit. If this is the case, you will register for one half of the available credit during the first registration period, and have the opportunity to register for the second half of the available credit during the following registration period. (For instance, your Pre-Calculus class at the high school may align with both MTH111 and MTH112 SOU credits. If so, you may register for MTH111 credit in the Fall or Winter registration period, and be given the opportunity to also register for the MTH112 credit in Winter or Spring registration period.) You are not required to register for the second term of corresponding credit for your class. You should monitor your grade and progress in the course and decide if it's in your best interest to register for the next section of your course's available class. 

I just realized I missed my chance to register last term/last year for ASC credits for my class! Can I still register for those credits? 

NO retroactive credit is available if you don't register during the aligned registration period. 

ASC credits must adhere to the same standards as any other SOU college credits. No retroactive registration for past terms or school years is possible. If you don't register for the course credit during the open registration period, you can't receive credit for the SOU course. There are no exceptions.

We know it's heartbreaking to miss an opportunity, so we strongly encourage you to pay attention to how many credits will be available for your ASC class and when the opportunity to register for credit will be available to you. Your ASC instructor knows this information and can share it with you. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact our office for clarification.

What if I am not doing well in my class and no longer want the college credits? 

ASC students are responsible to monitor their progress in their classes and understand that a final grade for the course will be issued to them when the aligned coursework for the corresponding term is completed. ASC grades become part of your permanent college record and can affect future admissions and scholarship awards, so please make note of the drop and withdraw deadlines in case you’re struggling in the class.

If you need to drop or withdraw from your ASC credit, all requests must be made by the student to our office in writing by the published deadline and prior to the aligned coursework is completed. 

If you are not performing as you would like to in the class and you don't have enough points left before the coursework is completed to salvage your grade with effort, then you have the option to drop or withdraw from the ASC credit you registered for as long as you meet the published deadlines. You may drop or withdraw from the ASC credit for your SOU course even if you are continuing to take the class in your high school and receiving a high school grade for the coursework. Any drop or withdraw must be completed before you complete the aligned coursework for the credit. The student (not the parent, or counselor, or school) must reach out to our office and request to drop or withdraw from the course credit. That request must be delivered in writing (email). If you have met the published deadline for dropping the credit, no record of you having taken the course will appear on your transcript and you may be eligible for a refund. If you notify our office by the published deadline to withdraw from the credit, then a "W" grade will be recorded on your transcript and will not impact your college GPA. Here's an example of the typical timeline for dropping and withdrawing from the ASC credit you registered for:

Students who discontinue attending or taking the class at their high school are NOT automatically withdrawn from the SOU course credits they registered for. The student must reach out to our office and notify us they have discontinued taking the class at the high school. At that point, we can drop (with no record) or withdraw (with a "W" grade recorded) you from the college credit if it is before the deadline. If it is past the deadline, we can look into the possibility of recording an "NC" No Credit grade which does not impact your college GPA. If you do not notify our office within the same term that you discontinue taking the class, we will be unable to alter the record of your having taken the course and whatever grade your teacher enters for you.

Students who face extraordinary circumstances that impact their performance in their class should reach out to their ASC instructor and their high school counselor for assistance in determining the best course of action. We encourage these students to ask that their instructor and/or counselor notify the Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs that extraordinary circumstances are at play and inquire what strategies are available to assist a student in preserving a positive college transcript and GPA.

Will I also get high school credit for taking these classes?

Yes! Generally, ASC classes will be credited at both the high school and the university level. That is why this program is called a "dual-credit" program.

What are the qualifications of an ASC instructor?

The high school teacher must qualify for appointment as an affiliate adjunct instructor in the aligned division or program at SOU. At the minimum, this requires the teacher hold a masters (M.A., M.S. M.Ed. M.A.T. etc.) degree. In addition, the teacher should have advanced course work related to the course they are teaching, either as part of their undergraduate or graduate studies. All instructors offering ASC credit have gone through the approval process with their aligning department at SOU. The approval is attached to that specific instructor and the coursework that has been vetted by SOU. Aligning SOU departments offer collegial interaction and enrichment opportunities to their aligned instructors, and a connection to other affiliate adjuncts teaching the same subject.

How will ASC credits transfer to other schools?

SOU course credits awarded for ASC classes are accepted by all public universities in Oregon. Most colleges and universities in the rest of the United States also accept ASC credits, but there may be differences in how the credit is applied. Universities other than SOU will accept these credits as they would any other transferred credits, and therefore may accept the credit as “elective" credits. Others may accept the credits as "equivalent" and apply the credit to specific requirements for earning a degree. Consulting the Oregon Core Transfer Map  is one way to predict which credits may transfer well to your future educational institution.

In our experience, most college and university admissions will give early college credits like those earned in ASC and EE more weight than AP scores during the application process. This may vary from school to school, so we encourage reaching out to your intended institutions if you have questions about how ASC credits will be accepted and articulated. Students who need to provide their institution with syllabi from their ASC courses may reach out to our office with that request.

HOME PAGE  |  CONTACT US!  |  GET SOCIAL