Funding for Equity: Designing State Dual Enrollment Funding Models to Close Equity Gaps (2025 Update)
How States Can Build Sustainable and Equitable Dual Enrollment Systems
February, 2025
Who pays for dual enrollment matters. When designed well, a state’s funding model can open doors to college access and success. When designed poorly, it can create barriers that reinforce inequity.
The 2025 update of Funding for Equity: Designing State Dual Enrollment Funding Models to Close Equity Gaps, from the College in High School Alliance (CHSA) and Zinth Consulting LLC, offers state leaders a roadmap to create funding systems that remove tuition barriers and expand access to college courses for all students—particularly those historically underserved by higher education.
About the Report
This comprehensive national resource analyzes how all 50 states fund dual enrollment and provides clear guidance on how to design sustainable, equity-driven models. Building on CHSA’s Unlocking Potential state policy roadmap, the report highlights the critical role of finance in achieving equitable college in high school access and success.
Readers will find:
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Three core funding approaches that eliminate student tuition costs — State Pays, State + District Share, and District Pays — with examples from leading states such as Minnesota, Georgia, Idaho, and Kentucky.
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Two additional models where students pay reduced or variable tuition, showing how states balance affordability, sustainability, and access.
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Equity rationales, benefits, and tradeoffs to help policymakers identify what works best in their context.
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50-state funding summaries detailing current policies, plus leading examples for replication.
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Best practices and lessons learned from states that have scaled equitable access and maintained bipartisan support.
Why It Matters
Despite growth in dual enrollment participation nationwide, significant inequities remain. Students of color, low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities, and rural learners are still underrepresented in programs that help them earn college credit while in high school.
Funding models are one of the most powerful levers states have to close these gaps. By designing equitable, sustainable systems that eliminate tuition as a barrier, states can:
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Expand access to college in high school opportunities;
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Increase college completion and credential attainment; and
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Build a more inclusive, prepared workforce for the future.
Who Should Read This Report
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State education agency and higher education system leaders
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Governors’ education policy staff and legislators
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District and college dual enrollment coordinators
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Equity advocates and workforce development partners
Download the Report
Explore how your state can design a dual enrollment funding model that advances equity, supports sustainability, and removes tuition barriers for students.
This report is an update to a previous version of this paper published in 2019. You can access the original 2019 version of the report by clicking the link below.
