Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight
South Dakota high school students will pay 50% more to take dual credit courses if legislators adopt a budget proposal by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem.
Currently, students pay one-third of the cost per credit hour, $50.84, while the state pays the rest. Noem’s proposal would split the cost in half, with the student and state each paying about $76 per credit hour. The state would spend around $1 million less on the program annually.
Noem is proposing the policy change in her budget for the next fiscal year. It’s one of numerous budget cuts she’s requesting as sales tax revenues decline.
Yet, in the education portion of her budget, she’s also proposing $4 million in new spending to create education savings accounts that would provide public funds for families to pay for private school tuition or for the costs of alternative instruction such as homeschooling.
The state Department of Education responded with a statement to South Dakota Searchlight questions about the proposed dual credit rate increase.
“The governor’s proposed budget will continue to allow motivated students the privilege to earn college credits at a reduced rate,” the statement said.
Education professionals worry that the increase would burden families and hamper their ability to enroll students. The program benefits not only them but the state as well, introducing students to higher education options at public universities and technical colleges.
There were 4,213 students enrolled in the public university portion of the program during fiscal year 2024, according to the governor’s budget proposal. There were 1,849 students enrolled in the technical college program. Classes are offered through all six public universities and four technical colleges throughout the state. Students can attend on-campus or online.
The program not only allows students to get a head start on their degree, but increases their confidence to succeed in higher education, said Ashley Seeklander, government relations chair for the South Dakota School Counseling Association and a counselor in the Aberdeen school district, in an emailed statement. Dual credit students have higher GPAs and retention rates once they enter college, according to an annual report on the program.
“As school counselors, we see firsthand the positive impact that the dual credit program has on student success,” Seeklander said.
If students forgo the dual credit program because of cost but still go on to attend a South Dakota university, they’ll pay even more. The average credit hour cost is $300 for a typical college student.
The South Dakota Board of Regents oversees the state’s public universities. Executive Director Nathan Lukkes said connecting with high school students before they apply to out-of-state colleges is an advantage for those institutions. About 60% of dual credit students enroll at South Dakota public universities upon graduation.
He hopes Noem’s proposed fee increase for students doesn’t hinder their ability to take the classes.
“The last thing we want is finances standing in the way of education,” Lukkes said.
He added that he expects enrollment in the program to level off in the coming years as high school enrollment decreases.
System director talks other proposed cuts
Noem also proposed another $2 million “operational” cut to the regents’ budget and a $9 million cut to the system’s building maintenance and repair fund.
The system has not decided how a $2 million cut would be implemented.
“Our goal is to minimize the impact to students — we want to continue to provide quality education at an affordable price,” Lukkes said. “We don’t want any cuts to hinder or alter that going forward.”
Regent Pam Roberts, a former South Dakota Republican Party chairwoman and former secretary of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, called the maintenance cut “shortsighted” at the board’s December meeting.
Lukkes added that it’s common to budget 2-4% of a building’s replacement value for maintenance and repair.
“We’re well positioned at the moment,” Lukkes said. “The challenge is if you take $9 million a year out of the funding stream and it’s not replaced very quickly, we’re good for a year or two. Five, 10, 15, 20 years down the road, you risk your infrastructure failing, falling into a state of disrepair and ultimately costing you more money than if you maintained it.”