CPE report: Dual credit gains expanding college opportunity for low-income Kentucky students

August 26, 2026

More low-income Kentucky students are successfully completing college courses before graduating high school, according to a new report released today by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

The report, Tracking Progress Toward Kentucky’s Dual Credit Attainment Goal, finds successful dual credit completion among students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch has increased by nearly 20 percentage points since 2016. Gains have occurred across every demographic group measured, indicating that Kentucky’s expansion of dual credit has been accompanied by stronger course completion — not simply higher enrollment.

That progress can translate directly into greater college affordability. Students who attempted dual credit accumulated approximately $6,000 less student debt at graduation and completed degrees between 0.3 and 0.7 academic years sooner, depending on the postsecondary sector, according to CPE research cited in the report.

Those findings come as Kentucky continues to make broader progress on college affordability. Six out of 10 Kentucky undergraduate students now complete college with no student loan debt.

“Dual credit is one of the most effective tools we have to make the path to college more affordable and attainable, particularly for students and families who may question whether college is within reach,” said CPE President Aaron Thompson. “Students are getting a head start on a credential, building confidence that they can succeed in college and, in many cases, reducing the amount of time and money it takes to graduate. That is real value for Kentucky families.”

Kentucky has also built financial supports to help make dual credit more accessible. Created by the General Assembly in 2017 (KRS 164.786) and administered by KHEAA, the Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship Program pays for one general education course per year for eligible juniors and seniors. The Work Ready Dual Credit Scholarship covers up to eight career and technical education (CTE) dual credit courses (a maximum of 2 in each year of high school). The scholarships are funded by Kentucky Lottery proceeds.

The new report also shows Kentucky is closing in on its statewide dual credit attainment goal. Among the 2024 public high school graduating class, 47.5% completed at least one dual credit course with a grade of “C” or higher — more than double the state’s baseline rate and just 2.5 percentage points shy of Kentucky’s 50% goal for 2030.

Participation has grown alongside successful completion. More than 52,000 Kentucky students enrolled in dual credit during the most recent academic year, an increase of nearly 50% over five years. Students generated 345,119 college credit hours, and participants now complete an average of about two courses by high school graduation.

“As dual credit has expanded, Kentucky has been intentional about pairing access with affordability,” said Robin Hebert, CPE senior fellow for Student Access and Success. “The scholarship programs have helped remove a significant financial barrier for families, while the growth we are seeing among low-income students shows why maintaining that support matters. The next step is making sure the credits students earn are not only affordable, but also transferable, applicable and aligned with where they want to go after high school.”

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