Tri-County Tech, Clemson offer new dual-enrollment program

Thirty-five high school students are participating in the inaugural cohort of Tri-County Technical College Dual Enrollment Academy-Clemson Connect. 

The new dual-enrollment academy offers a path for high school students in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens school districts to earn a degree at Clemson University. TCTC held a signing event on May 13 to celebrate the academy’s inaugural cohort.

TCTC President Galen DeHay said the first-of-its-kind academy was designed to expand access to higher education for students who may be the first in their family to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

“These 35 students are set to embark on an incredible academic journey, one that starts with an exceptional learning experience at Tri-County and leads to a guaranteed path to earning a bachelor’s degree at Clemson University,” DeHay said. 

The TCTC Dual Enrollment Academy-Clemson Connect was announced in April 2025 and launched in spring 2026. The TCTC Foundation hosted a gala in February to support the new academy and has raised $295,500 to date. 

According to TCTC, students are recruited for the academy during their sophomore year of high school and take dual-enrollment courses through the technical college. The inaugural cohort completed their first college course, College Skills 103, this spring.

Students in the dual enrollment academy’s inaugural cohort are expected to matriculate at Clemson in fall 2028. They are required to earn a 3.0 GPA or higher in all college courses and a 4.0 GPA or higher in all high school courses.

Sean Brittain, associate provost and dean of undergraduate learning at Clemson, said the university is committed to providing high-achieving students with meaningful pathways to a bachelor’s degree. 

“This new academy embodies that commitment,” Brittain said. “It creates a bridge that begins here at Tri-County, strengthens students academically and personally, and ultimately leads them to Clemson University prepared and confident.”

For more information, visit tctc.edu/programs/transition-programs-resources/dual-enrollment/dual-enrollment-options/dual-enrollment-academy.

Inaugural cohort 

Here is the list of high school students who signed to join the TCTC Dual Enrollment Academy-Clemson Connect.