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 October 21, 2026

Credit to Careers: CTE Dual Enrollment State Cohort

Request for Proposals — Credit to Careers: An Initiative to Expand High-Quality CTE Dual Enrollment

States want to expand CTE dual enrollment that gives students real on-ramps to degrees and credentials in specific pathways and programs of study—and most are not starting from scratch. Strong programs already operate across the country, powered by committed educators, K–12/postsecondary partnerships, and a mix of federal, state, and private funding. What is often missing is a statewide strategy that brings these efforts together, aligns them with the state's priority Career Clusters and attainment goals, and ensures they reach every student who could benefit.

With support from the Walton Family Foundation, the College in High School Alliance (CHSA) is recruiting seven states for a 2.5-year initiative (January 2027–July 2029) to map their CTE dual enrollment ecosystems, develop a statewide strategy, and begin implementing it—backed by dedicated coaching, data systems support, and an Implementation Fund of approximately $150,000 per state. Applications are due Friday, December 4, 2026.

What Is High-Quality CTE Dual Enrollment?

CTE dual enrollment is dual enrollment in which a high school student earns transcripted postsecondary credit for career and technical education coursework that is part of a defined program of study aligned to a credential of value. High-quality CTE dual enrollment goes further: credit is sequenced within a career pathway, transfers and applies toward a degree or credential with labor market value, and reaches the students with the most to gain. Research from the Community College Research Center finds that students who combined dual enrollment and CTE coursework saw significant earnings gains by age 24 compared to students who took only one or the other.

These are the conditions the initiative will work with states to build—not conditions states must have in place to apply.

What Participating States Receive

  • Individualized coaching: A dedicated coaching team from Achieving the Dream, Advance CTE, JFF, or the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, working alongside data partner Education Analytics
  • Data systems support: An assessment of the state's CTE and dual enrollment data systems and a roadmap for improving them
  • A cohort of peer states: In-person and virtual convenings to test emerging strategies and solve shared challenges, with travel costs covered
  • An Implementation Fund: Approximately $150,000 per state, available beginning in 2028 to support priority actions in the state's strategy
  • A national platform: The cohort's work will inform a national framework and white paper on building state CTE dual enrollment systems

What Participating States Will Do

  • Phase 1 — Map the CTE Dual Enrollment Ecosystem (January–July 2027): Develop an Asset Map of how CTE dual enrollment currently works in the state, drawing on data, policy, funding, and input from stakeholders and students
  • Phase 2 — Develop a CTE Dual Enrollment Strategy (August–December 2027): Publish a strategy with participation and completion targets, a data strategy, and the policy, funding, and programmatic actions needed to close identified gaps
  • Phase 3 — Implement the Strategy (January 2028–July 2029): Put priority actions into practice with continued coaching and access to the Implementation Fund

Who Should Apply

  • State education agencies, higher education agencies and systems, CTE agencies, and governors' offices that hold or share authority over CTE dual enrollment policy
  • Cross-agency teams that include the State CTE Director, K–12 and higher education dual enrollment leads, and a CTE and dual enrollment data lead
  • States at any stage of development, from those building foundations to those ready to become national exemplars
  • All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories are eligible; one application is accepted per state

Key Dates

  • Interested Applicants Webinar: Wednesday November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Eastern — Register here.
  • Application deadline: Friday, December 4, 2026, by 11:59 PM Pacific — Apply here.
  • Finalists notified: Monday, December 21, 2026
  • Finalist interviews: Week of January 4, 2027
  • Selected states notified: Tuesday, January 19, 2027

Common Questions About the Credit to Careers Initiative

Who can apply for the Credit to Careers Initiative? Any state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory may apply. A single lead agency that holds or shares decision-making authority over CTE dual enrollment policy applies on behalf of a cross-agency team made up of a working team and a leadership team.

Does a state need high-quality CTE dual enrollment in place to apply? No. The elements of high-quality CTE dual enrollment describe where the initiative aims to take states, not where they need to be when they apply. CHSA may seek a cohort representing a range of starting points and data-system maturity levels.

Does articulated credit count as CTE dual enrollment? No. For this initiative, CTE dual enrollment means credit earned through enrollment in a postsecondary course and transcripted when the course is completed. States that rely on articulated credit are welcome to apply, but the project will focus on expanding high-quality CTE dual enrollment.

How is the Implementation Fund used? States can access approximately $150,000 once their strategy is complete, to support budgeted activities that advance it. In most cases, CHSA contracts directly with the partners and providers a state selects, so states can put the support to work without navigating state grant acceptance or procurement processes.

Apply and learn more

The Credit to Careers Initiative is supported by the Walton Family Foundation.