INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Some educators worry tougher academic requirements for teachers will lead to fewer high school classes in which students can also receive college credits.

The accreditation group for Indiana colleges says that by fall 2017 those teachers must have 18 credit hours from master’s degree-level courses in the subject they’ll be teaching. Ivy Tech Community College says hundreds of the high school teachers it now works with might fall short.

The requirement comes from the Higher Learning Commission, which says it is meant to ensure dual-credit classes are taught by someone with college-level expertise.

Ivy Tech Assistant Vice President John Newby tells The Indianapolis Star he’s afraid many teachers won’t have enough incentive to take additional college courses to meet the standard.