Tips for Dual Enrollment

K-12 students complete the steps themselves (with parent support)

A key benefit of Dual Enrollment is that K-12 students become familiar with college admission and registration processes. To dual enroll, K-12 students need to complete the same steps as college students – and more. It might feel daunting, but we are here to help!

Dual Enrollment is also the beginning of a student's permanent college record. FERPA protects the privacy of every El Camino student's education records regardless of age, though we are happy to provide parents with general information to support their student.

Read everything

There is a lot to learn if you are a first-time Dual Enrollment student, including both El Camino College basics and items unique to Dual Enrollment while in high school.

Our webpages are loaded with links and up-to-date information to make sure K-12 students have the resources and guidance they need – all in one place, available 24/7. We even have our own Frequently Asked Questions and Student Tutorials!

Know what type of Dual Enrollment you are doing

El Camino College offers K-12 students the opportunity to dual enroll in traditional El Camino College classes alongside college students (online and on-campus) – or to dual enroll in classes offered in partnership with their high school (often at their local high school campus) – or both!

The Steps for Dual Enrollment are the same for both types, but K-12 students need to register themselves for traditional El Camino classes, while those participating in classes in partnership with their high school only complete Steps 1-2.

Complete the steps early

Completing the Steps for Dual Enrollment takes time – usually 5-7 business days, but possibly longer during peak times.

The most popular term for Dual Enrollment is summer – and every year the Dual Enrollment Office receives a high volume of forms, emails, and phone calls around the start of registration for summer classes.

We work to process all completed forms and answer all questions in the order received, but there is little we can do to help after classes are full.

By completing the steps well ahead of the start of registration, you'll be ready to register as early as possible!

Provide complete and accurate information

The information you provide when you apply to El Camino College for the first time is used to create your El Camino student account.

This will be your account both while you are a K-12 student and if you attend El Camino after high school as a college student.

Students must complete a form to update the information on their account, like a name or address change, or to add their social security number later. Update your Student Account

Know your ECC ID Number

El Camino College Student ID Numbers are 7 digits (no letters) like 2731234. Students receive this number in their Welcome Email.

It's important to remember your ECC ID Number for your records, and to provide it on your Dual Enrollment Application Form and when connecting with El Camino staff in order to correctly identify your student account.

Make sure you can access MyECC

MyECC is El Camino's secure online student portal where students perform a variety of tasks, like register for classes and view grades.

For this reason, it is important that new students be able to sign into MyECC using their @elcamino.edu email address and initial password, then create a new secure password.

Students receive their MyECC username and initial password in their Welcome Email.

These same MyECC login credentials are also used to access Canvas (for online class content) and Microsoft 365 (for Word, Excel, email, etc.) 

Plan ahead, get approved for multiple courses for each term

K-12 students must submit a separate completed Dual Enrollment Form for each term they wish to register for classes.

This form grants you permission for the courses listed in Section III. Even if you would only like to dual enroll in one class, we recommend getting permission for two in case your Course #1 choice is full. Otherwise, you will need to submit another new form to update your course permissions.

Registration starts in May for both summer and fall classes, so we recommend completing two forms and submitting them together by April! The same goes for winter and spring classes, for which registration starts in November.

Check your @elcamino.edu email address regularly

Every El Camino student receives an @elcamino.edu email address (including K-12 students), and any important communication from the college or your instructors will be sent here. Access your ECC Email Address

Join us for help and events

We offer Dual Enrollment Zoom Help every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4:00-5:00 p.m. and by appointment. This is a great way for K-12 students who have questions or issues to share their screen and receive assistance with the Steps for Dual Enrollment.

We also host virtual Information Sessions for each term, as well as online Registration Assistance workshops on the earliest date that K-12 students can register for classes.

Join us by visiting Help & Events!

Subscribe to Dual Enrollment Updates

Want to receive updates with important information for K-12 Dual Enrollment students? Like reminders when the start of registration is right around the corner? Or that the latest Class Schedule is now available?

We added a new Dual Enrollment Updates feature to our homepage. Sign up for for text message notifications, or join Remind to receive notifications via email or the Remind app.

Don't delay, reach out for assistance

We answer the phone 310-660-3344 and check the [email protected] email address daily to respond to questions, troubleshoot issues, and provide links and referrals.

Part of navigating the college experience is knowing how/who to ask for assistance. The Dual Enrollment Office acts as a single point of contact for all K-12 students to make sure they are supported through the admission, dual enrollment, prerequisite, and registration processes – and more! Please let us know how we can help.