The Future Starts Now Ohio’s College Credit Plus program gives students grades 7 to 12 the opportunity to complete valuable college coursework for free. BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
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ers are adjunct college or university professors, so students don’t have to leave their familiar environment. The best part is the credits are at no cost to students or their families. By the time Kushner started college at Kent State University, she was a year ahead in her coursework — and completed her master’s degree at age 21. By 22, she had earned her CPA license. “It’s a no-brainer,” she says. “If you have the opportunity, then do it. You’ll be so grateful to have any extra time you can in college, whether to get in more courses, have a job on the side or graduate sooner.” The College Credit Plus program launched in 2015, and since that time
more than 5,000 students have completed associate degrees while attending high school. Thousands more each year get a jump on college coursework for four-year degrees that saves both time and money. During the 2020-21 school year, 76,601 students across Ohio participated in the program, says Rebecca Harr, director of College Credit Plus. In 2022, the University of Akron graduated a high school senior with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer information systems. “Students taking advantage of these college courses are not just transferring credits, they are creating degree pathways,” Harr says.
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fast-track to a master’s degree in accounting and a career at a global firm started during Jordan Kushner’s junior year at Midview High School in Grafton, when she began taking College Credit Plus courses. “I really liked that I was still able to stay involved with my high school while getting all of the college credit,” says Kushner, who earned 33 transferrable credits from Lorain County Community College. College Credit Plus is the state’s dual-enrollment program that allows students in grades 7 to 12 to earn college and high school credits at the same time. In some cases, high school teach-
