School district, UF partner for dual enrollment program
An agreement between the School District of Lee County and the University of Florida (UF) will give high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to take part in dual-enrollment courses in the fall.
“No one in Southwest Florida is doing what the School District of Lee County is doing for students. We are now the only district in the region to offer dual enrollment with the University of Florida — and that is on top of our AICE programs, IB offerings and expanding collegiate partnerships. When it comes to top-tier academic opportunity, there is no comparison,” Chief Academic Officer Dr. Nathan Shaker said.
There are already 68 students from the district’s 15 high schools signed up to start classes in August.
He said the district is always seeking new opportunities to challenge students and give them the best opportunities available.
“UF is a home run for meeting both of these goals,” Shaker said.
The opportunity means that Lee County students, at no additional cost to them, will have access to course work, curriculum and instructors at one of the nation’s preeminent universities, he said.
“We are excited to welcome Lee County to UF Dual Enrollment as we continue expanding opportunities for students across the state, from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle,” UF Teaching and Technology Assistant Provost and Senior Director Nico Rose said in a prepared statement. “By connecting high school students with rigorous, innovative UF courses, this partnership contributes to the future talent pipeline for our state by supporting college readiness and strengthening pathways to higher education.”
School counselors will help interested students with the application process.
“They must work directly with their school counselor to apply,” Shaker said. “They must meet entrance requirements and be formally accepted during the application periods.”
Students must maintain a minimum 3.6 cumulative unweighted high school grade point average and meet competitive standardized test score thresholds on the SAT, ACT or CLT exams.
The credits earned fulfill requirements at UF and can be transferred to other public and private postsecondary institutions nationwide.
“For next year, we will offer al a carte offerings from UF’s catalogue. In ’27-’28, our district will continue to offer a la carte options, but also form specialized cohorts at schools around the district to provide students the chance to pursue specific post-secondary interests in a deeper and more comprehensive way,” he said. “Cohorts may be focused on technology and AI integration, natural resource and agri-technology, education, marketing and entrepreneurship.”
In addition to UF, dual enrollment opportunities are also offered at Florida Southwestern State College (FSW), Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Accelerated College Experience (ACE), FGCU’s Collegiate Academy and Barry University.
During the 2025-26 school year, there were 1,853 students enrolled at FSW, 62 in FGCU’s ACE, 314 in FGCU’s Collegiate Academy and 316 at Barry. The total college credits earned at FSW were 18,003, 1,647 at FGCU’s ACE, 8,263 at FGCU’s Collegiate Academy and 948 at Barry.
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