Dual Credit
Dual Credit courses taken in conjunction with North Central Texas College offer Sacred Heart Catholic School students the opportunity to achieve college credit while completing high school work. Dual credit courses are available to qualified, highly motivated students in grades 10-12. Students participating in this program have a designated class period for each online dual credit course. Some of the benefits of dual credit include:
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Experience college while still in high school
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Earn both high school and college credit for courses
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Flexibility as classes are held online
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Increase college success and completion
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NCTC Core Curriculum transfers to all public colleges and universities in Texas giving students a head start on college coursework with a potential to graduate high school with 30 or more college credits. (Students attending private or out of state institutions should check with that institution concerning coursework transfer.)
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Financial savings, as it is more economical to take college courses while in high school.
TUITION RATES FOR FALL 2023, SPRING & SUMMER 2024
In-District (Cooke County Residents)
Tuition: $0
General Use Fee: $48
Out-of-District Fee: N/A
Total per Semester Hour: $48
In-District Branch Campus (Graham ISD)
Tuition: $0
General Use Fee: $48
Out-of-District Fee: $20
Total per Semester Hour: $68
In-State
Tuition: $57
General Use Fee: $48
Out-of-District Fee: $32
Total per Semester Hour: $137
Student Eligibility
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B or better high school average
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Must obtain a qualifying score on the TSI as determined by NCTC’s Dual Credit department
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Approval of SHCS Principal and Academic Advisor
STUDENT REGISTRATION
Registration for dual credit classes is a multi-step process and typically takes several weeks. Please see the Academic Advisor as soon as you decide to pursue dual credit courses.
The first step in the process is completing your ApplyTexas application for NCTC. Review or download the NCTC Guide here.
You can also view step-by-step instructions for the ApplyTexas here.
Once this is done, it will take a couple of weeks for students to be entered into the NCTC system. Once entered into the system, NCTC will send students an email with an ID number and password to set up their Lion Pride email account. There are a series of steps to go through, including taking and completing the online class College 101, and scheduling and passing the TSI test required for your DC class.
CONTACT INFORMATION & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For general information about NCTC, go here.
For more information about NCTC Dual Credit Admissions, go here.
For more information about Dual Credit at Sacred Heart, please contact our SHCS Academic Advisor Jaime Taylor at jtaylor@shmuenster.com.
Our NCTC Dual Credit Success Coach is:
Tisha Green
940-668-3387
1525 W. California St.
Gainesville, TX 76240
NCTC and SHCS maintain a great partnership for serving our Dual Credit Students. See the 2024 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING for complete details on this wonderful program.
Click below for a list of SHCS approved dual credit courses offered through NCTC and for a list of suggested classes by grade level.
Red River Promise
The Red River Promise program, in conjunction with North Central Texas College, offers high school students from Sacred Heart Catholic School the opportunity to attend college with varied support services and free tuition and fees.
Once students make their pledge to the program, they can attend NCTC or a partnering university the fall after they graduate from high school, receiving this last-in scholarship. A last-in scholarship means that the promise program will cover any balance in tuition and fees that is not covered by federal or state financial aid or institutional scholarships.
The seven university partners participating are Texas Woman’s University, Midwestern State University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of North Texas at Dallas, West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University Commerce and Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
For questions or more information, please contact our Academic Advisor Mrs. Jaime Taylor at jtaylor@shmuenster.com or visit NCTC’s Red River Promise information page.
Kolbe Academy
Sacred Heart Catholic School launched a pilot with Kolbe Academy in 2024 to explore the possibilities and impact of offering honors and other specialized coursework at a distance. Similar to attending a community college—the materials, instruction and grading are all handled by Kolbe Academy. But unlike the community college, the courses target the high school learner and deliver the Catholic worldview we’re seeking to instill by providing our children with a Catholic education.
Use of the self-paced learning model allows Sacred Heart to easily accommodate the new courses into their existing schedule while contracting with Kolbe teachers to consult with and grade students. Current Kolbe courses offered to Sacred Heart students are Honors Theology at the 10th and 11th grade levels as well as Spanish and Latin languages.
For more information, please contact our Academic Advisor Mrs. Jaime Taylor at jtaylor@shmuenster.com or visit https://www.kolbe.org/
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society, Sedes Sapientiae Chapter, was instituted at Sacred Heart Catholic School in 1965 by Sister Mary John Seyler with the help of Father Placidus Eckert. The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1921.
Membership in the National Honor Society is a privilege and is not solely based on academic achievement. Students in grades 10-12 are eligible for NHS membership decided upon by a faculty committee based on the following qualities of:
- Leadership: based on teacher and self-evaluation. Members are expected to lead by example of a good student and respectful citizen.
- Service: hours are to be turned in to Mrs. Taylor by the first Friday of May of the school year.
- Character: based on teacher and committee assessment. Members are expected to exemplify the definition of character in their lives both in the classroom and outside of the classroom.
- Scholarship: candidates must have an overall numerical average of 96 for each quarter with no class averages under 90.
To remain a member in good standing of our chapter, all members must embody every pillar of the National Honor Society. These standards are aligned with the national criteria.
Students in 9th grade are eligible for membership in our National Junior Honor Society. Click here for more information about NJHS.
For more information about NHS, see our SHCS Handbook (Sec. V) or contact our NHS Advisor Mrs. Jaime Taylor at jtaylor@shmuenster.com
Summer Reading
Students should read the text for their grade level. Students will have to purchase their own copy of the book so as to be able to write notes and annotations in the margins. Selections will be discussed and tested at the beginning of the first quarter. Students must complete the test corresponding with the text on their grade level. Tests not completed by the end of the first quarter will be made up in a mandatory 9th period during the first week of the second quarter.
9th Grade
The Bridge of San Luis Rey – Thornton Wilder
10th Grade
The Man Who Was Thursday – G.K. Chesterton
11th Grade
A Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M. Miller Jr.
12th Grade
The Violent Bear It Away – Flannery O’Connor
