
Getting Started with CCP
You are making a great choice by considering taking CCP courses! To enroll in College Credit Plus courses at Columbus State for the 2020-2021 school year, follow the steps below. Not ready to apply? Contact us with any questions at ccpadvising@cscc.edu.
You can also learn more by attending a College Credit Plus Information Night. Information nights are held September through February, for students and families considering CCP for the following school year (2020-21). Information Nights are sponsored by school districts, and also held at Columbus State. For more information on school district events contact your school counselor.
CCP Admission Steps
1. Submit your Letter of Intent
The deadline to submit your College Credit Plus Intent form to your high school for the 20-21 school year was May 1, 2020. If you missed the deadline, please contact your high school directly.
Public School Letter of Intent
Students attending a private school, and students who are home-schooled must submit their letter of intent to the Ohio Department of Higher Education by April 1. Instructions are on the form.
Non-public school Letter of Intent
Home Schooled Students Letter of Intent
2. Apply for admission to Columbus State
Complete an application for admission to Columbus State. No application fee or essay are required.
3. Determine placement and course eligibility
For information on College Credit Plus placement and program eligibility, visit our College Credit Plus Testing page.
4. Complete the online orientation
Turn in your completed Consent Form and complete the online College Credit Plus Orientation.
5. Register for classes
Register for your classes with your high school guidance counselor or with your College Credit Plus advisor. Your advisor will help you choose the right courses to meet your high school graduation requirements while also meeting your goals for college and beyond.
Printable Admissions Checklist
Take a class or two - or even earn your associate degree!
Once you apply and are accepted to Columbus State, meet with your middle or high school counselor to determine how many hours you can take tuition-free. Additional/non-eligible courses may be taken on a self-pay basis.
Some students choose to take just couple of courses – others complete one or even two complete years of college (60 credit hours) through CCP. In fact, since Columbus State began offering CCP classes in 2015, we have had more than 30 students graduate with an associate degree before they left high school. That’s two years of time and tuition savings when you get to college!
Where to take classes
Columbus State offers CCP courses in more than 130 high schools throughout the region. If your high school is one of them, you’ll have many options to choose from right at your high school and may also have online options through your school. In addition, CCP students can take many classes at Columbus State locations or online through Columbus State.
CCP courses are offered:
- In select high schools, middle schools, or dedicated district CCP building
- Online
- On site at our Columbus State locations*
*Please note that Columbus State student instruction and services will remain primarily remote for Autumn 2020 semester. To learn more about the College's COVID-19 response, visit cscc.edu/coronavirus.
Important considerations
Registering for CCP courses is not like taking high school classes – not even AP or honors classes (see the chart below for a side-by-side comparison on AP and CCP classes). CCP students are taking official college classes, so you’ll want to consider a few important things as you make your decision:
- Because classes are college-level, the rigor and curriculum will be at a higher level than many high school classes. Columbus State provides free tutoring for CCP students at Columbus State locations or online. Check with your counselor to see if tutoring is available at your middle or high school.
- The grades you earn in a CCP course are permanent grades on both your high school and college transcripts.
- Columbus State CCP courses and textbooks are provided at no cost to students attending public or non-public schools.
- Additional expenses, such as transportation costs for classes at a Columbus State location, will be the responsibility of the student and their family.
Should you take CCP or AP classes?
. | Columbus State CCP Courses | AP Courses |
Will I earn college credit for these courses? | Yes, with a passing grade of C or better | Requires an AP exam. A score of 4 is accepted for credit by most colleges/universities. All public colleges and universities in Ohio accept a score of 3 for college credit. |
Do these courses count toward high school graduation? | Yes | Yes |
Will these courses be accepted and transferrable to all Ohio public universities? | Yes. CCP credits taken through a public Ohio college or university will be accepted by any other public college or university, as required by Ohio Transfer to Degree Guarantee. | Yes, with an AP exam score of 3, as required by the Ohio Department of Higher Education |
Will these courses be accepted and transferrable to private colleges/universities in Ohio? | Credit acceptance is solely at the discretion of each individual private college or university. | Credit acceptance – as well as whether the AP exam score must be 3 or 4 for acceptance - is solely at the discretion of each individual private college or university. |
Does the grade received affect my college GPA? | Yes. The final grade received in the course will be on the student’s college transcript and will factor into their college GPA. The grade will also be on the students’s high school transcript and factored into their high school GPA | Final grade received in the course will be only on high school transcript. AP exam grade of 3.0 or higher that is accepted by a college or university will be on college transcript, but do not affect the student’s college GPA. |
Are these courses offered free of charge to students? | Students taking CCP courses through a public college or university do not have to pay for tuition for successfully completed eligible courses. Eligible Course Information | Courses are offered as part of high school curriculum with no additional charges. Students may choose whether or not to take the AP Exam at the end of the courses. AP Exam costs are covered by student/family. |
Who pays for textbooks? | Textbook information can be found by clicking here. | Textbooks are provided by the middle or high school as part of the high school curriculum with no additional charges. |
Who teaches these courses? | Columbus State faculty or high school faculty credentialed and trained to teach college-level courses. | High school faculty |