For years, a Tucson high schooler could earn Pima Community College credit in an English, math or career course taught at their own high school without paying college tuition. That changes in the 2027-28 school year. In June 2026 the Pima Community College Governing Board passed a $347 million budget that includes a new fee of $10 per credit for dual-enrollment courses.
The change doesn't take effect for almost a year, so families have time to plan. Here's what we know, what's still undecided, and how it affects students at private schools and families using an Empowerment Scholarship Account.
How dual enrollment works at Pima
Dual enrollment at Pima means a student takes a college-level course at their high school or a Pima JTED campus and earns both high school and Pima credit. It runs through participating schools under an intergovernmental agreement with the college. Arizona law requires community colleges to set up these agreements with the public, private or charter schools that offer dual enrollment.
For the current 2026-27 school year, families don't pay standard tuition for dual-enrollment courses at participating schools. That's the arrangement the new fee will modify.
What's changing in 2027-28
According to Arizona Luminaria, the fee will apply to about 7,000 high school students who take Pima dual-enrollment courses at 43 Southern Arizona high schools. At $10 a credit, a typical three-credit course would cost $30. The college pointed to expanded enrollment, rising operating costs and no state money for these courses as the reasons.
Board President Greg Taylor told Arizona Luminaria the college would spend the coming year working with districts on how to put the fee in place, including some kind of scholarship or waiver based on financial need. He was clear that no exact policy had been defined. Until Pima publishes one, families shouldn't assume a waiver will be available.
Why it matters to Tucson families
Dual enrollment is common in Arizona. Education Forward Arizona data cited by Arizona Luminaria put participation at about one in four high school students, and English, math and career and technical courses are the most common. In the same coverage, Sunnyside Unified's superintendent said more than 1,000 of his district's students are dually enrolled. A student who stacks several courses over junior and senior years could see a total bill in the low hundreds of dollars. That's small next to college tuition but not nothing for a family on a tight budget.
Private-school students
The fee follows the course, not the type of school. If your child attends a private high school that has an agreement with Pima, the same per-credit fee is expected to apply from 2027-28. The more important question for a private-school family is whether their school participates at all. Not every Tucson private high school offers Pima dual-enrollment sections. When you tour high schools, ask which dual-enrollment or AP options they offer and which college partners they use. Our list of Pima County private high schools is a good starting point for those questions.
Where the ESA comes in
For a family with an ESA, the fee is likely to be a payable expense. Arizona law lets ESA money pay tuition, fees and required textbooks at an eligible postsecondary institution, and the ADE handbook names Arizona community colleges among them. A $10-per-credit dual-enrollment charge billed by Pima fits that description. The handbook rules out room, board, meals and transportation, which aren't at issue for a course taught at a high school.
Two practical points. First, ESA money moves through ClassWallet, so you'll need an itemized invoice or bill from the college to pay directly or to get reimbursed. A card receipt alone won't do. Second, Pima hasn't said how it will bill the fee. It could go to the family, or through the high school. Ask your school how billing will work once Pima announces it. See our page on what the ESA pays for for the full list of allowed costs.
A family on the STO path instead of the ESA can't use STO scholarship money for this fee, because STO awards are paid to the private school for tuition. In that case the fee comes out of pocket, unless Pima's need-based waiver turns out to cover it.
What to do now
- Plan the next two years. Courses taken in 2026-27 come before the fee. A student weighing a dual-enrollment course this spring might want to take it now.
- Ask your high school. Find out whether it participates, which courses it offers, and how it expects the fee to be billed.
- Watch for Pima's waiver policy. The college has said it is exploring help based on financial need. Check Pima's dual enrollment page during the 2026-27 year.
- Keep ESA records clean. If you'll pay from an ESA, save each invoice so the expense can be documented.
Dual enrollment remains one of the cheapest ways to earn college credit in Southern Arizona, even with the fee. The change mostly affects how families budget, not whether the courses are worth taking. For other ways a Tucson family can pay for high school, see our full list of funding sources.