Early College Program

• First-hand experience with college course content.
• Early exploration of different college and career pathways.
• Opportunities to earn high school and college credit (dual credit).
• A chance to earn a college certificate or degree faster and at a lower cost.
• Can take Oakton courses offered at an early college partner location, on-campus, or online.
• Access to the following campus supports and connections - available to all Oakton students:
  • Library services to request an Oakton student ID that can be used as a library card to access books from over 90 different colleges and universities. 
  • Academic Advising Services for help choosing the right classes for your college/career interest(s) and free tutoring at our Learning Center while taking Oakton classes.
  • Career Services for assistance with resume writing and interviewing skills.
  • Access to Oakton campus computer labs, even during evenings and weekends.
  • Free admission to Oakton athletic events and discounted admission to Oakton theater and music events.
• Will earn college credit for courses accepted by our college/university transfer partners within or outside of Illinois. (You can order your Oakton College transcript from the Oakton Records website.) 

• Oakton courses offered at high school locations through our early college partnerships are tuition-free to high school students. However, a one-time $25 application fee is added to student accounts but billed to the high school for payment.
• Students taking Oakton courses on our campuses or online must pay Oakton tuition and fees through the myOakton portal by semester deadlines to remain enrolled in courses.
• If you are going to another college or university, they will want to review your Oakton College transcript as part of the admission process. You can order your Oakton College transcript for $10 each from the Oakton Records website.

General Education

These are standard 100-level college courses all students take and are accepted at other colleges/universities in Illinois as part of the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI). (Many out-of-state colleges/universities also accept these courses but may have different general education requirements.)  A combination of these courses across various subjects makes up the General Education Core Curriculum (GECC), required for all students seeking a college degree through Oakton and other colleges/universities.

Career-Technical Education

These courses are within the academic pathway of a career-focused certificate or degree program at Oakton and may transfer to other colleges/universities in various ways. They help students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the workforce after high school graduation or continue their education journey beyond an Oakton certificate or degree.

• Dual credit opportunities allow high school students to take college courses to simultaneously earn high school and college credit before graduating high school. Grades and credits appear on students’ high school and college transcripts after completing dual credit courses. Oakton partners with every in-district public school and two private schools to offer dual credit courses at high schools during the regular school day, taught by qualified district instructors.
• Dual enrollment opportunities allow students to take college courses for college credit but not high school credit upon completion. Most often, students take these courses on-campus or online, outside of Oakton early college partnerships, in addition to their regular high school courses or over the summer. Grades and credits for courses taken under these arrangements appear only on the college transcript upon completion. We encourage students to work through their high school counselor before registering for classes not offered through our early college partnerships if they desire dual credit - high school and college credit.
• AP courses are advanced placement high school courses developed by the College Board, offered at your high school, and taught by high school instructors. Students earn college credit for these courses by taking an exam at the end of the semester and checking with colleges/universities to see what scores are acceptable. Oakton accepts scores for many AP exams and will award credit for equivalent Oakton courses according to the Advanced Placement equivalency chart. 

Before you can register for Oakton on-campus or online courses, you must submit the concurrent enrollment application at least one week before the first day of the course you want to take. (See the Oakton Academic Calendar for start and end dates for courses each term.)

Here are some helpful (concurrent enrollment) application tips:

• You must submit an official or unofficial high school transcript.
  • The transcript must clearly display your name, your home address, the name of your high school, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • The address entered on the application should match the address listed on your high school transcript.
  • You will be billed for in-district or out-of-district/state rates according to your home address. (See Oakton Tuition and Fees)
  • We cannot accept grade reports/report cards or other informal documents in place of your high school transcript.
• Make sure you have permission from a parent or guardian.
  • The application will ask you to enter their name and email address for us to request their permission. (Note: Your application cannot be accepted without their consent.)
• Be sure to connect with your school counselor for pre-approval.
  • The application will ask you to enter their name and email address for us to request their approval. (Note: Your application cannot be accepted without their consent.)
• If you request to take more than one course, you may have to complete and submit additional forms.

» You will automatically earn college credit after successfully completing courses at Oakton or online. You should connect with your school counselor for high school credit approval (dual credit).

Apply Now

• First, be sure to submit the application for concurrent enrollment at least one week prior to the first day of the Oakton course you wish to take. 
  • Within 24-28 hours of acceptance, you should receive a message at the email address you entered on your application, containing your student ID and login information.

• Then, you can register by following these steps:
  • Log in to myOakton using your login information.
  • Locate Plan/Register/Grades card and click Register for Courses.
    • If you cannot locate that card, click the three lines in the top left corner, select Discover and search Plan/Register/Grades.
  • Select Register for Classes and Term.
  • In the Subject box highlight the subject (i.e., English).
  • In the Course Number box, enter the course number (i.e., 101).
  • In the Campus box, select your desired Campus Location.
  • Select the Search button at the bottom, then select Add for your desired course.
  • Finally, click Submit at the bottom-right side of the page.

» If you need help, email esoperations@oakton.edu. 

After registering for one or more Oakton classes, you can follow these steps to confirm course details, such as meeting time, location (room number), instructor, and drop deadlines: 

• Log in to myOakton using your login information.
• Locate the Plan/Register/Grades OR Advising Card.
  • If you cannot locate that card, click the three lines in the top left corner, select Discover to search Plan/Register/Grades.
• Select Student Profile, then Student Concise Schedule.
• Finally, use the drop-down menu to select applicable Term.