All students currently enrolled or entering Calvary as a 9th grader or above must declare their intent regarding graduation. Any student who seeks to graduate from DCA must follow all policies and fulfill all requirements set forth regarding graduation. Students who declare a lack of intent to graduate and change that intent at a later time will not be allowed to graduate unless they have followed graduation policies and fulfilled all requirements. Please note the following stipulations regarding graduating from Calvary: – Students must select a diploma plan from the time of their initial enrollment or entry into high school. –  A recommended sequence of classes will be distributed upon selection of diploma plan. This sequence is the basis for the school’s scheduling of classes. Students who choose to diverge from the recommended sequence risk scheduling conflicts, at no fault of the school, which may result in the inability to register for required course work and thus prevent graduation. –  All academic core courses (English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language) must be taken on campus from the time of the student’s initial enrollment or entry into high school. (Exception: Students may transfer one course from off campus each academic year.) –  A minimum of five credits must be completed on campus to earn a diploma from DCA. –  Students must submit scores from either the SAT or ACT in order to receive a diploma. –  Students must attain a final GPA of 2.00 to graduate. NOTE: All students who wish to transfer credits into Calvary must fulfill all requirements as stated in the handbook. Failure to do so may result in the transfer course not receiving approval and the student not graduating.

Each spring, the Academic Advising Office meets with students and parents by class to review the possibilities for the next school year. Although students have prepared a four-year plan, adjustments are sometimes necessary to accommodate a newly discovered passion or to capitalize on an area of academic strength. Then, online course requesting is made available beginning in late March. Course requests must be made through Renweb during the designated open course requesting dates. After that, there will be a $75 fee for schedule changes. Please be aware there is a Financial Commitment Policy (see the Parent/Student Handbook). Please do not wait until the last day of course requesting to choose classes, in case there are problems. In order to select your student’s classes follow the instructions below.

1. Sign into Parent’s Web.
2. Select “Student Information”.
3. Select “Course Request”.
4. Select each of your students individually and put a check by the courses they would like to enroll in for next year.

Most secondary students will be selecting six classes (including study hall) plus any sports in which they want to enroll.  Refer to the Tuition & Fees and the Academic Planning Guide links below for more information. (Remember that in high school, most electives are semester classes.) If your student has a gap in his/her schedule and needs a study hall, please register for that at this time. (Remember there are no first or last period study halls) If your student will be arriving after first period or leaving campus during any of the class periods, please select “Off-Campus”. Sports that you are currently enrolled in this year will say “enrolled” beside it. You will need to go ahead and select the sport for next year as current enrollment does not affect next year.

Students in their junior and senior years and on a track to graduate may request to take two courses by dual credit to be applied toward graduation requirements.  Students will be allowed a total of two credits per year – two dual credits or one dual credit/one transfer credit.  Students are not allowed to transfer in more than one credit unless one of them is obtained through dual credit. Currently, LeTourneau University and Dallas Baptist University are the only approved institutions for dual credit.  Only approved courses will be accepted for dual credit.  It is the student’s responsibility to fulfill all prerequisites set forth by LETU and DBU for enrollment (i.e., testing, prior coursework, academic standing, etc.) as well as pays all fees required by the respective college.  Courses taken for dual credit will count toward a student’s GPA and appear on the transcript as such.  Letter grades will transfer as follows: A – 97, B – 87, C – 77.

PROCESS

The academic advising office will notify students of the registration process through both LETU and DBU during open registration and enrollment times. If a student wishes to take summer classes, please contact the advising office.

Students who choose to take a course off campus must follow the procedure for requesting transfer credit detailed in the guidelines to follow.  It is the responsibility of the Denton Calvary family to follow these policies and fulfill all requirements.  Failure to follow policies, fulfill requirements, or submit complete and accurate documentation to the Academic Advising office will result in the course’s not receiving approval and may cause the student not to graduate. The deadline to request transfer credits: Fall semester: Friday of the first week of school Spring semester:  Friday, the last day of quarter 2 Summer semester:  Friday, the last day of quarter 4 → Transfer Credit Request/Submission Form

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Guidelines for Transfer Credit Transfer Credit Criteria (except Fine Art credits) To meet the school’s criteria, a transfer credit must have a passing final grade and be a credit-bearing class from an accredited high school or online program, which is equivalent in content, level, and rigor to the required Denton Calvary course.  The Academic Committee reserves the right to verify that the course content is equivalent to that required at Denton Calvary. Transfer Credit for Fine Arts Requirement A fine art credit may be earned through private instruction or a class as listed above.  Students must complete all transfer paperwork and receive approval of the curriculum and course instructor before beginning private instruction. Students requesting transfer credit through private instruction must complete sixteen hours of direct instruction per semester, combined with thirty-two hours per semester of chronicled outside practice/independent work. In lieu of coursework and tests, submission of the following will be required with the Course Approval form:

1. Log recording hours of instruction (initialed by private instructor),
2. Log showing practice time (initialed by parent), and
3. Depending on the type of fine art taken by the student, photographs, an audio recording, or a video of the student showing acquired proficiency.

Transfer Credits for High School Students New to DCA Students must submit transcripts or, in the case of home schooled students, a listing of courses taken prior to admittance.  All prior course work must be submitted for approval using the method set forth in the Guidelines for Transfer Credit and approved by the Academic Committee before the first day of class.  All transferring high school students must fulfill the requirements for all course work as determined by DCA.  Any student who does not meet the requirements must fulfill the requirement by completing the appropriate course at Denton Calvary.  See current DCA Parent/Student Handbook for more details.

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Transfer Credit Fee There is a $500 per semester fee for transfer courses taken while enrolled at Denton Calvary Academy. The fee is due upon the initial request for the transfer course with the related forms. Proctoring Fee Families who require test proctoring for a transfer course may be subject to a $50 fee per proctoring session.  This fee is due at the time of the proctoring session. Late Fee Students who turn in their Course Approval Form and transfer course work/time logs after the stated deadline will be subject to a $50 per month late fee.  Additionally, work turned in late may hinder a student from approval to begin the next semester of coursework in the transfer credit process. Procedure for Requesting Transfer Credit

1. Transfer courses are accepted on a SEMESTER basis.  Each semester will be evaluated separately and credit will be given by semester only.
2. Complete a “Request for Transfer Credit” form.  The student and parent must sign the form acknowledging that they understand and agree with the requirements and policies set forth for transfer credits.  This form must be turned in for the first semester of a course within the first week of the school year, and within the final  week of the second quarter for the second semester. The request must be approved by the Academic Committee before the student may begin the course.
3. Upon approval, the student may begin the course semester using the approved curriculum from an accredited institution (except fine art credits).  Any changes must be approved by the Academic Committee before beginning course work.  Failure to gain approval for changes will result in the course’s not receiving credit.
4. Upon completion of the course semester, student must submit a transcript or official grade report to the Academic Advisor. Students seeking Fine Art credits should also submit proof of proficiency such as, but not limited to, a performance audio or video, and the Instruction/Practice time log.
5. Approval of the course semester will result in the student receiving one-half transfer credit and allow him/her to proceed to the next course in the sequence, if needed.  Failure to follow the guidelines put forth by DCA will result in the denial of credit for the course semester and will require the student to take said course at DCA to fulfill the required credit.
6. DCA retains the right to require a comprehensive exam to verify mastery of course objectives and content as deemed by DCA.  The student may also be required to demonstrate critical thinking skills through a writing assignment.
7. Fees for courses transferred and for exams proctored will be assessed according to the current DCA Parent/Student Handbook.

How much will it cost to go to college in Texas?

You may review and compare the costs of public and private, 2-year and 4-year Texas colleges at the following website: www.collegefortexans.com.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

FAFSA – To apply for student financial aid, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This provides the information the financial aid office at your college or university needs to determine your financial need for federal and state programs, including the TEXAS Grant. Apply as soon as possible after October 1st of your senior year; funding is limited.

FastWeb

FastWeb lists over 1.3 million scholarships totaling $3 billion. This FREE web-based scholarship search service lists itself as the most complete source of local, national, and college-specific scholarships anywhere. Once students complete their personal profiles, FastWeb provides customized lists of matching colleges, scholarships and more via email. Scholarships may be organized by type, deadline, dollar amount, and more. Additionally, students may find the right school by matching location, academic offerings, enrollment, setting, sports, and more through the FastWeb College Search.

TEXAS Grant Program

TEXAS Grant Program: Towards Excellence, Access and Success (TEXAS) Grant Program: A TEXAS Grant may be used to attend any public institution of higher education in Texas. The award amount (including state and institutional funds) is equal to the student’s tuition and required fees. You apply for the TEXAS Grant when you complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or other application as required by your college’s financial aid office. Funding is limited, so you need to submit your application as soon as possible after January 1 of your senior year. The financial aid office at each college and university will determine if TEXAS Grant is part of the aid package that is offered to you.

HELPFUL LINKS

College Board – Register and review for the SAT, Explore colleges

ACT – Register and review for the ACT

Scoir – College search, career exploration, college applications and transcript requests from DCA

Fastweb – Scholarship search

CampusReel – Video and VR platform for college search

CollegeAtlas – College search, degree research, study skills

Study Skills in College – Helpful resources for success in college