Hundreds of Montgomery County high school students will face out-of-pocket tuition bills of $553 per three-credit course at Montgomery College this fall unless they qualify for need-based aid.

MCPS sent 289 letters to families on Monday, July 13, detailing costs the district will no longer cover.

The letters went to families whose students don't meet Maryland's College and Career Readiness standard, the new threshold MCPS is using to decide who gets free dual enrollment. Payments are due in August.

"It's not fair to have families in limbo," said Brigid Howe, president of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs and mother of a 10th grader in the Middle College dual enrollment program at Northwood High School. "It is known that this is a possibility, and for it to be July and payments are due in August is really unfair to parents."

What changed

The Board of Education voted 7-1 in June to approve a fiscal year 2027 budget that slashed $1.4 million from dual enrollment funding. The cut came after the Montgomery County Council adopted a $7.9 billion operating budget that left MCPS with a $36 million shortfall between expenses and approved funding.

Previously, MCPS covered tuition, fees and textbooks for all dual enrollment students. Starting July 1, only students who meet the state's College and Career Readiness standard under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future legislation get that coverage. The standard is geared toward 11th and 12th graders, though the cut applies to students in all grades, MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez said in a statement.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor told reporters in May that the cut "reflects going to the state's definition for college and career ready, which is a little bit more stringent than the metrics that we've applied to covering the cost of dual enrollment."

Who's affected

Of the 3,159 students enrolled in dual enrollment at Montgomery College as of July, roughly 9%, or 289 students, don't meet the readiness standard, according to Montgomery College spokesperson Vanessa Zambrano.

Students in dual enrollment are not eligible for federal financial aid. Montgomery College does offer a need-based dual enrollment grant on a first-come, first-served basis for families with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less.

Howe, whose son attends Northwood High where 59.6% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, said the short-notice payment requirement raises equity concerns. She noted that while her family can manage the cost on short notice, "that is not the case for all of my son's classmates."

What comes next

The families notified this month face immediate costs for fall 2026. The broader policy takes full effect in spring 2027: MCPS said in its FAQ that if no alternative funding model is developed, the district expects reductions in the number and types of dual enrollment classes available at MCPS high schools starting that semester.

Families who received letters should check whether they qualify for Montgomery College's dual enrollment grant. Fall 2026 tuition payments are due in August.