Start College Now (SCN)
Early College Credit Program (ECCP) Guide & 
Dual Enrollment Academy (DEA) and Transcripted Credit

Early College Credit Program (ECCP)

• Allows students grades 9-12 to take courses at UW System colleges institutions, private or tribal colleges for high school and college credit

Start College Now (SCN)

• Enables students in grades 11 & 12 to take courses at Wisconsin technical colleges for credit

Dual Enrollment Academy

• A program offered at select Wisconsin technical colleges for seniors where the bulk of the year in spent taking courses toward a specialized track on the technical school’s campus

Transcripted Credit

• Select courses offered at Nicolet and taught by Nicolet teachers that students are eligible for both high school and college credit

Contacts at Nicolet for Dual Enrollment

Courses Taken Outside of Nicolet: (Early College Credit, Start College Now & Dual Enrollment Academy)
Stephanie O’Connor-Reiser, Career & Transition Coordinator at
stephanie.oconnor-reiser@nicolet.us
414-351-7562

Courses Taken at Nicolet HS: (Transcripted Credit)
Brenda Turner, Director of Teaching & Learning at 
brenda.turner@nicolet.us
414-351-8245

1. Discover Your Path

Start by using Xello to match your interests and skills with potential career pathways. Also, check out  the Career & Life Readiness site and go to the  “resources to support career decision making & exploration” section for accessing tools and resources to support your career pathway determination. 

2. Plan Your Courses and Credits

Investigate how the courses you want to take will transfer to your future college or university. If you aren't sure what you want to study yet, consider taking general education courses that apply to almost any degree.

3. Important Factors for Consideration: 

• Confirm that you have exhausted all course options related to your pathway offered at Nicolet

• Always check if a class requires prerequisite courses. Keep in mind that some prerequisites are only offered in fall or spring semesters.

• You cannot be approved to take college courses that are already offered at Nicolet. This includes courses where potential AP credit is available.

• Ensure that the course your looking to take aligns with your personal Academic & Career Plan

• Ensure that you possess the academic and social maturity required for college environments

• For all courses offsite, ensure that you have a plan for transportation to and from the class

• Meet Minimum GPA requirements as applicable

4. Credit Transfer Resources:

• AP Exams and UW System

• AP Exams at Marquette

• UW Transfer Wizard

• Transferology (A widely used transfer platform for Wisconsin and nationwide colleges)

5. Evaluate Your Schedule

Before committing to a course, look at when it is typically offered and ask yourself these logistical questions:

• Schedule Fit: Does the class time work with your current high school schedule?

• Format Options: Are there online or night courses available that might offer more flexibility?

• Efficiency: Given the alternating schedule of college courses, does it make sense to take more than one class?

• Long-Term Value: Will taking this course right now ultimately save you time and money toward your degree?

6. Consult Your Counselor

Once you have an idea of what you want to take, schedule a meeting with your school counselor! They can provide additional information and help verify that your requested courses will fit into your overall Academic and Career Plan.

• The following is a chart comparing the similarities and differences of ECCP and SCN

• ****Institute of Higher Education (IHE) referred to in this document references the college or university course associated with

Summary of Options Available for Students to Earn College Credit in Wisconsin High Schools

• This document provides further details on each of the forms of dual enrollment options available in the state of Wisconsin

Start College Now 

Early College Credit Program

DEA (currently closed for 2026-2027)