Dual credit program for high school students

(a) There is established within the department of education the dual credit program, to allow eligible students to enroll in any qualified course offered by the University of Hawaii system. (b) For the purposes of this section: "Eligible student" means a public or home-schooled high school student in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade who: (1) Has passed an assessment approved by the college that demonstrates the student's ability to succeed at the college level; (2) Is under the age of twenty-one as of September 1 of the school year in which the college course is taken; and (3) Has other qualifications deemed appropriate by the department of education or the university; provided that subsequent qualifications do not restrict any student from taking the assessment. "Qualified course" means any career and technical education or academic course offered by the University of Hawaii system that also applies to the department of education's graduation requirements or is otherwise permitted by department of education rule or policy. (c) All course credits successfully completed pursuant to this section that would otherwise be transferable but for a student's grade level, shall be transferable to any University of Hawaii system degree granting institution; provided that the student is admitted to the campus where the credit is transferred. (d) One hundred level or above University of Hawaii courses that fulfill an undergraduate or graduate degree course requirement and that are successfully completed under this section shall also satisfy the department of education's graduation requirements as determined by the department of education pursuant to rule. (e) This section shall not preclude the department of education and the university from establishing programs by mutual agreement that permit high school students to enroll in college courses.