Future CCP Student & Families

You are making a great choice by considering taking CCP courses! Usually offered at no tuition cost to students and their families, CCP courses let you earn both college credit that will appear on your college transcript, as well as credit that counts toward fulfilling high school graduation requirements.

In addition to earning credit, you can get a head start on college by experiencing the academic rigor of taking college courses.

Admissions Process

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

CCP benefits for students

• Eligible CCP classes are offered tuition-free for students
• CCP courses let students expand their academics beyond traditional high school curriculum
• Students earn college credit while also satisfying high school graduation requirements
• Working at the college level builds the students’ confidence in succeeding in college
• Students can earn up to 120 credit hours, making it possible to complete a bachelor’s degree through CCP!

What Parents Need To Know

College Credit Plus offers more opportunity than ever for students in middle and high school. As you talk with your student about taking CCP classes, please also discuss the dedication and  commitment it takes to succeed in college. There is a significant difference in high school and college expectations, pace, rigor, and required hours of study outside of the classroom.

CCP courses are not edited in any way for underage participants, so controversial and adult topics can be expected. Students and parents should expect coursework and discussion that engage and challenge students on topics that likely would not be broached in traditional secondary schools.

When your student accepts the rights and responsibilities of being a college student, your parental role will change, too. As the parent of an underage CCP student, you may have the heartfelt desire to continue advocating for your student. We respectfully share with you that our work is with the student and the high school guidance counselor. You can support your child by helping them navigate the college system, but cannot take on their responsibilities as you may have in middle or high school. Important differences include:

• Per the U.S. Department of Education's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), all  students enrolled in a college or university, regardless of age, have the right to keep their information private and, without authorization, the college is prohibited from releasing this information to anyone other than the student.  . That means the college can only talk to the student about his/her personal and academic information. Click here for more information on FERPA.
• Columbus State can share student information with the high school they are enrolled in. If the student is under 18, parents have the right to access any information held by the high school, including all information that is transferred from Columbus State to the high school.
• Parents do not reach out to college faculty to discuss academic concerns. Students must talk to college professors themselves, as professors are also bound by FERPA. If parents believe their student is experiencing any type of academic distress, they should encourage the student to reach out their professor or their CCP advisor.
• Students can grant parents Proxy Access to some of their information. Once the student is enrolled in Columbus State, they can log on to our CougarWeb system, choose "View/Add Proxy Access" and grant access to all personal information, or just the information they choose. It is important to note that Proxy Access does not include access to grades.
• Parents are encouraged to sign up for our RAVE Moble Safety system to recieve text alerts of campus emergencies including closings for inclimate weather. Visit cscc.edu/rave.

 We thank you for the thoughtful exploration and conversations that you have with your students in preparation for this exciting experience and look forward to serving your student!

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.

Attend a College Credit Plus Information Night

College Credit Plus Information Nights are held September – February, for students/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.

Columbus State Events

Please check back for upcoming events at Columbus State.

To apply to Columbus State as a CCP student, visit our Admissions Steps page

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