How Can My Student Get Started?

You play a key role in helping your student explore college opportunities. 

Here’s how to support them with entry into Early College or Project EXCEL

Talk with their School Counselor

Counselors can explain which programs and courses are available at your students school, what requirements exist to enter those programs at their school, and how it fits into their overall plan. 

Reach Out to the Vincennes University Dual Credit office.

For questions or guidance, email vudualcredit@vinu.edu. Our team can help you and your student understand options, costs, and the various support systems.

Encourage Exploration

Your student doesn’t need to know everything about college yet. Support them in asking questions, attending information sessions, and deciding what’s best for them.

Please know this: Your student belongs in these programs, and there’s a network of people ready to guide them every step of the way. With your support, they can start building their future today!

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An opportunity like no other

Taking a dual credit class is an exciting opportunity for your student, but it’s also a real commitment. These are college-level courses, and the grades earned become part of an official college transcript that follows the student after high school. 

That means dual credit requires the same responsibility, focus, and effort expected in a college classroom. Students need to meet deadlines, manage their time, and stay engaged throughout the semester. 

As your student’s primary support system, you make all the difference. Encouraging good study habits, checking in regularly, and celebrating progress can help your student stay on track and confident.

When students commit to dual credit, they’re learning more than the subject matter, they’re learning college expectations, self-discipline, and how to take ownership of their education. Those lessons will serve them long after the course ends. 

Dual Credit isn’t just another class but a step toward your student’s future. It’ s one that takes commitment, teamwork, and encouragement from everyone involved.

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Making the Commitment

At Vincennes University, we believe every student’s future begins with a commitment. The following is the commitment that we will ask your students to make when a decision has been made and the student joins a Dual Credit pathway. This is a commitment to learning, to growth, to opportunity, and is a personal promise to themselves. Please help your student understand the importance of upholding that promise. 

A Students Commitment to Vincennes University Dual Credit

• As a Vincennes University Dual Credit Student, I commit to a code of civilized behavior. I will practice personal academic integrity; 
• I will respect the dignity of all persons, including myself; I will respect the rights of others; I will not condone bigotry; I will strive for the openness to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions;
• I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development.
• Allegiance to these ideals requires me to refrain from behavior that threatens the freedom and respect every individual deserves. 

I further commit the following: 

• To embody and practice the university’s motto: “Learn in Order to Serve.” 
• I will seek to learn not only for my own growth, but so that I may also make a positive impact in my community and in my future career.
• I understand the commitment and acknowledge that the success in dual credit courses require the same time, effort, and commitment as a college student taking the same course at any campus location. I will complete the same assignments and meet the same academic expectations and rigor as any of my Vincennes University peers. 
• I further understand that the credits and grades that I earn through Vincennes University will become a permanent part of my college transcript. I’m committed to seeing that I get good grades. 
• I will always appreciate the value of this opportunity that Vincennes University and the State of Indiana has given me.  
• And I acknowledge and understand that the cost savings and head start that I gain today can ultimately grow into even great rewards and cost savings should I choose to continue to pursue a Certificate, Associates, or Bachelor’s Degree through Vincennes University. 

The Prestige of Vincennes University Dual Credit

When your student takes this step with Vincennes University Dual Credit, they’ll be connecting with a history that reaches back more than two centuries. Founded in 1801, Vincennes University is Indiana’s first college. Vincennes University was built on the belief that higher education should be within reach for every student.

That same vision of access and opportunity inspired Project EXCEL, launched in 1975 as Indiana’s first dual credit program. What began as a bold experiment in connecting high school and college learning has grown into a statewide model, helping tens of thousands of students earn affordable college credit before graduation.

Building on that success, Vincennes University helped pioneer Early College programs, partnering directly with high schools and CTE centers across Indiana to create pathways where students can graduate with both a high school diploma and significant college credit, sometimes even an associate degree.

Together, Early College and Project EXCEL continues Vincennes University's long tradition of innovation, collaboration, and student success. Vincennes Dual Credit is Indiana premier dual credit provider empowering your students to take control of their future one credit at a time.

The History of Vincennes University