MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - High school students around Minnesota are at risk of losing access to college-level classes in their schools due to new requirements that teachers have a master's degree or at least graduate-level credits in those subjects.

The change could be a major blow to a growing number of students who rely on dual-credit classes to earn college credits to take a bite out of their future higher education costs.

Hundreds of high school educators in Minnesota could soon be barred from teaching the classes, forcing students to take courses at a local college or university or forgo them all together.

The problem arose because the Higher Learning Commission recently updated its standards for college instructors. The HLC accredits nearly 1,000 colleges and universities in 19 Midwestern states including 114 in Minnesota.

More From AM 1240 WJON