College credit in high school: dual enrollment for Valley private and ESA students

Maricopa Community Colleges in brief

All ten Maricopa Community Colleges, from Glendale and Paradise Valley to Mesa, Chandler-Gilbert and Estrella Mountain, offer dual enrollment. A high-school student enrolls in an identified dual-enrollment section at their high school and meets the college's admission and prerequisite rules, earning college credit and high-school credit at the same time.

What it costs

Dual-enrollment students pay the standard in-state rate: $97 per credit hour plus a $15 registration fee per semester at each college. A typical three-credit course comes to $291 plus the registration fee. The district also runs a Maricopa Tuition Assistance Grant; ask the college about eligibility.

Using the ESA for college credit

ESA money can pay tuition, fees and required textbooks at an Arizona community college. For a high schooler on the ESA, that means a dual-enrollment or early-college course can be paid from the account alongside private high-school tuition, as long as the balance is there. Room, board, meals and transportation are not covered.

Private high schools and dual enrollment

Dual enrollment runs through partnerships with high schools, so the first question for any Valley private high school is which dual-enrollment courses it offers and with which college. Our directory lists the Valley's private high schools, from Catholic prep schools to small college-prep and therapeutic programs. Ask each whether course fees are billed separately and whether the school can invoice them through ClassWallet.

After graduation

The ESA does not end the day a student graduates. The account can stay open while the student is enrolled in an eligible postsecondary program, and closes after graduation from that program or four consecutive years without enrollment. Families with a balance at the end of high school should check the handbook rules before planning around that money.

Private high schools in the Valley (91)

* Enrollment reported to the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24 or 2021-22). "STO lists" counts the School Tuition Organizations whose published school list included the school (Oct 2026). Arizona has no state list of ESA schools; ask each school whether it accepts ESA payments through ClassWallet.

Next step

Ready to find out which funding fits? Take the short funding check and a School Funding Advisor will call to go over the ESA, STO and school-aid options for your child, with the dates that matter.

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