Getting Started with the College Credit Plus Program 

You are making a great choice by considering taking college courses! To enroll in College Credit Plus Program (CCP) at Columbus State, follow the steps below. 

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. Information Nights are sponsored by school districts. For more information on school district events contact your school counselor.

Printable Admissions Checklist

CCP Admission Steps

1. Submit your Letter of Intent

For public school students, the deadline to submit your College Credit Plus Intent form is April 1st. If you miss the deadline, please contact your high school directly.

Homeschool and Non-Public Students: The deadline to apply for CCP funding to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is April 1st.

2. Apply for admission to Columbus State

Complete an application for admission to Columbus State. No application fee or essay is required.

APPLY NOW

3. Discover Columbus State Username and Password

Once you have applied and have been emailed your Cougar ID, discover your Columbus State username and password by visiting Change My Password. You will need your username and password to complete the next step. For further assistance, click here: Article - Discover My Login Name/Password.

4. Turn in Required Forms 

Turn in Permission Slip and Student Questionnaire. These forms must be turned in HERE before the student can register for any course with the college. As a reminder, this link needs to be accessed from your @student.cscc account (otherwise it will say you don't have permission to access). For further assistance, please view this video.

5. Determine Eligibility for College Credit Plus

To become eligible for College Credit Plus, new students must meet one of the following criteria:     

• Have a cumulative unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Achieve eligible scores on approved assessment exam (click here for more information). If a student needs to take Columbus State's placement tests, please click here to schedule a testing appointment.

6. Complete the online orientation

Complete the online orientation.

7. Register for classes

Work with your high school counselor to choose the right courses to meet your high school graduation requirements while also meeting your goals for your college program and to complete the required registration documents. If you have questions about course selection, you may schedule an appointment with your College Advisor.

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 credits you can take tuition-free. Additional/non-eligible course credits may be taken on a self-pay basis.

Some students choose to take just couple of courses – others complete one or even two years of college (60 credit hours) through CCP. In fact, since Columbus State began offering college classes in 2015, more than 30 students have graduated 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 college 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. In addition, CCP students can take many classes at Columbus State locations or online through Columbus State.

College courses are offered:

• In select high schools, middle schools, or dedicated district CCP building
• Online
• On site at our Columbus State locations

Important considerations

Registering for college 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 college classes). CCP students are taking official college classes, so you’ll want to consider a few important things as you make your decision:

• 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 college courses are permanent grades on both your high school and college transcripts.
• Columbus State college courses and textbooks are provided at no cost to students attending public schools.
• Additional expenses, such as transportation costs for classes at a Columbus State location, will be the responsibility of the student.

Should you take College or AP classes?

.	Columbus State College 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. college 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 student’s high school transcript and factored into their high school GPA	Final grade received in the course will be recorded only on high school transcript. AP exam score of 3.0 or higher that is accepted by a college or university will be on the recorded college transcript, but do not affect the student’s college GPA.
Are these courses offered free of charge to students?	Students taking college 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