St. Johns River State College outlines dual-enrollment options for Clay County families

Renee Ruffalo, director of dual enrollment at St. Johns River State College, told Clay County parents during a Virtual Parent Academy that the college offers three dual-enrollment pathways and that the program can significantly reduce college costs for motivated students.

"Dual enrollment is free in the state of Florida," Ruffalo said, explaining that tuition, textbooks and most access codes are covered; she added course-specific items such as required Adobe software for some arts classes may not be included. The college estimates a typical 60-credit Associate of Arts degree earned through dual enrollment represents about $9,320 in tuition savings, not including room and board.

Why it matters: Dual enrollment lets high-school students earn college credit that becomes part of a permanent college transcript, which can accelerate a student’s path to a bachelor’s degree and reduce expenses. Ruffalo emphasized that credits are most valuable when courses are chosen with a clear plan to meet university prerequisites.

Ruffalo described three pathways: Early College (a cohort-based AA pathway beginning in ninth grade, with Orange Park High School in Middleburg cited as an Early College site), traditional dual enrollment (flexible course selection for students at many high schools) and early admissions (full-time college enrollment for 11th–12th graders). She said the AA degree is a 60-credit program with general-education requirements and roughly 24 credits for prerequisites and electives.

On eligibility and readiness, Ruffalo said students generally need an unweighted 3.0 grade-point average and a set of test scores no older than two years to participate, though scores do not always need to show college-ready placement just to start. The college offers EdReady and other test-prep resources for students who need skill-building before attempting college-level math and English.

Ruffalo stressed that dual-enrollment coursework follows college-level rules and calendars. "There is a three-day absence policy with the college," she said, and professors communicate directly with students via college email and the Canvas learning platform. Parents cannot routinely contact instructors because enrolled students are covered by the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); parents may complete a release-of-information form if they need access, and the presenter encouraged involving the student in any conversations.

Support services detailed during the presentation included campus and 24/7 online tutoring (live help often available within minutes), library resources, formatting guides for college writing, academic advisers and a dual-enrollment office that assists with registration and troubleshooting. Ruffalo noted that high-school accommodations do not transfer automatically to college: students must self-identify at the Orange Park campus and meet with the campus disability coordinator, Patrick Arnlein, to arrange services.

Ruffalo reviewed academic standards and program protections: the college publishes a W/D/F rule for the dual-enrollment program that allows a student to petition once following a withdrawal/grade of W/D/F; a second such occurrence can result in automatic removal from the program. She also presented recent program success rates for different delivery modes and apologized for an outdated date on her slide deck.

Parents asked whether there were fees; Ruffalo reiterated that dual enrollment is free in Florida and repeated the exception for course-specific software or materials. On whether students must know a major before enrolling, she said they do not, but counselors and the required academic-pathways course (SLS 1122) can help students identify appropriate majors and choose purposeful coursework.

The college's dual-enrollment webpage (sjrstate.edu) provides an application checklist, staff contacts (including Marsha Smith and dual-enrollment adviser Tammy Beeman at the Orange Park campus), and Clay County–specific textbook and calendar information. The session was recorded and will be posted on the Clay County district website and the district YouTube channel.

Next steps: parents and students who want to pursue dual enrollment should speak with their high-school counselor to confirm eligibility, complete the college application, and contact the dual-enrollment office or the Orange Park campus for assistance.