Courses at Outside Institutions

Students and parents should think carefully before deciding to take courses outside of FHS. 

Below are some specific things to consider and discuss:

• It is not mandatory or expected that high school students take a college class to be admitted to college;
• All grades will be part of a student's permanent college record that will follow them in the future;
• All classes and grades must be reported to colleges;
• Students making up D or F grade may not be able to replace the grades;
• College classes will take time and energy that could be used towards your high school classes and other activities; and
• High school students do not receive priority when registering for classes.

Guidance for Students and Parents

The following are some tips and advice from the Guidance Department:

• Students should not take classes in place of high school courses available to them, but to supplement what they are taking in high school
• Students can explore a subject not offered in high school, challenge themselves in a subject in which they have high interest, and take a class for enrichment (ex: take Introduction to Guitar or Hip Hop Dancing just because they are fun)
• Keep in mind that doing well in a college class may raise your grade a small fraction, but your time may be better spent on community service, internships, or part-time jobs that relate to your interests
• You should never take a college class at the expense of your high school grades.  Good college grades will not make poor high school grades look any better
• If you are trying to earn college units, visit the assist.org website and select the community college that you are considering.  The website will help you identify CSU and UC transferable college courses.
• If you are using a college class to satisfy a college subject (a-g) requirement, visit the University of California website
• Science courses at the college level must have a lab component to be considered a UC laboratory science (subject d)
• Classes taken at a community college will be recorded on a student's college transcript and will not be transferred back to the high school transcript.  It is the student's responsibility to report college courses on college applications and submit official transcripts during the application process.
• Because Fremont believes that students should balance their academic loads, students are limited to one college class per quarter/semester.  Students with special circumstances must speak to their Counselor and may possibly be referred to their Assistant Principal.
• Students attempting to replace a D or F grade on their high school transcript should talk to their Guidance Counselor about the courses they are considering.  Some college classes do not replace high school course grades.

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Students are limited to earning 70 credits per year. This is the maximum number of credits per year that may be posted to a student's transcript. This means that a student who has been scheduled for seven periods may not take an additional course from an outside institution and request additional credit. 

Students are limited to a total maximum of 40 credits that may be earned through outside educational institutions over the four years of high school. Any course taken from an outside institution MAY NOT be replaced by a similar or identical course the following semester. This includes any enrichment courses students may take during the summer months from outside educational institutions.

Contact the Alpha Guidance Counselor prior to enrolling in a class if inquiring about receiving credits from an outside educational institution.

*Please note, If you requesting to take a class to replace a grade on your transcript or to earn credits towards graduation, you must ALSO submit the Request for Outside Credit Form found below. Courses taken for enrichment purposes are NOT transferred to the FHS transcript.

Outside Credit Request Form

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FUHSD Community Language Partners

The Fremont Union High School District has established partnerships with several local community language schools to support students in continuing their language studies. Currently enrolled FUHSD students may be eligible to apply for coursework completed through a community language school to be included on their transcript under the following guidelines:

• Coursework will be completed while the student is currently enrolled in FUHSD;
• The course would count toward the maximum credit limit of 70 credits earned per school year;
• No more than 40 outside credits will be included on an FUHSD transcript over four years;
• The coursework was approved by the high school administrator prior to the student enrolling in the course; and
• The community language school submits to the high school or district office an official transcript at the end of the term.

WHAT IS Dual ENROLLMENT?

Concurrent and dual enrollment programs allow high school students to take community college courses. Each community college sets policies regarding enrollment practices. Students should research opportunities carefully.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN CONSIDERING COMMUNITY COLLEGE:

• It is not mandatory to take community college classes
• All classes and grades must be reported to colleges
• Students are encouraged to explore a subject not offered in high school, such as Psychology or Astronomy, or take a class for enrichment – take Guitar lessons or Hip Hop Dance just for fun. 
• If you are trying to earn college units, please visit the ASSIST website to identify UC and CSU transferable college courses.
• To determine meets the UC a-g course requirements, visit the UC Course List webpage
• Students attempting to replace a D or F grade on their high school transcript should talk to their guidance counselor about the course being considered

WILL COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES BE RECORDED ON MY Fremont TRANSCRIPT?

Enrichment classes taken at a community college will not be recorded on the Fremont High School transcript, but remain on the college transcript. It is the student’s responsibility to report college courses on college applications and submit official transcripts during the application process.

HOW MANY COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES CAN I TAKE?

Students are limited to one course per term (fall, winter, spring, summer). Students with special circumstances must speak to their Guidance Counselor and may possibly be referred to their Assistant Principal.

HOW DO I ENROLL AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE?

Each community college has its own policy regarding age and grade level of students eligible to take courses. They also have their own rules for what classes high school students can take. Please visit their websites to find school-specific information. In addition, watch this tutorial created by DeAnza College on concurrent/dual enrollment.

• De Anza College
• West Valley College
• Foothill College
• San Jose City College
• Mission College

For additional information and resources about taking Dual Enrollment courses, please visit the FUHSD Dual Enrollment Website.

WHAT DO I NEED FROM fremont?

After a student applies to a community college, the community college will require a signature from a high school administrator. Please send the forms to Assistant Principal Secretary Lorena Moreno at lorena_moreno@fuhsd.org. 

*Please note, If you are taking a community college class to replace a grade on your transcript, you must also submit the Request for Outside Credit Form found below. Courses taken for enrichment purposes are NOT transferred to the FHS transcript.

Request for Outside Credit Form

In some cases, students would like to take summer classes to get ahead in curriculum or to help balance the workload for the following year. In order to request credits on the FHS transcript, students must submit a Request for Credit form and await approval prior to registering for the course.

Students who wish to take courses for fun or personal growth are welcome to do so, however, many of these courses do not transfer to the FHS transcript.

Please visit Naviance and/or our College and Career Planning website for a list of summer programs available. 

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For current students who are interested in applying to summer programs requiring counselor recommendations, please follow the steps below:

1. Must submit requests at least 3 weeks before due date.
2. Complete a Summer Program Personal Information Sheet.
3. Provide copies of PSAT and SAT scores if needed for the program.
4. Provide an addressed and stamped envelope if mailing of recommendation is necessary.

Please note, if a teacher(s) recommendation is required, please consider the process above, but check with the individual teacher promptly.