WORKING AHEAD

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

Afast-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 teachers 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.

The program is expanding student eligibility requirements by admitting students who have a minimum 2.75 GPA and A or B grades in relevant high school coursework.

“And we are hearing stories of students who are more likely to participate when they can stay at their high schools and participate with a teacher and classroom they are used to, so colleges and universities have created intentional partnerships with districts to put that framework into place,” Harr says, adding that Ohio is a “very progressive state” in terms of postsecondary options and offering opportunities for students to earn college credits during high school.

Kushner, now 26, can attest to how College Credit Plus accelerated her move from the classroom to a career.

“I now work in the Cleveland office of Grant Thornton, an international public accounting firm,” she says, “and they have offices around the world.”

To learn more, visit ohiohighered.org/ collegecreditplus.

MAKE YOUR COMEBACK

The state of Ohio’s College Comeback program encourages students to return to school and finish their degrees in exchange for loan-debt relief.

Life happens, and sometimes, that means it gets in the way of college students’ plans to complete their coursework and receive a degree. Family, work, children and finances are just a few of the things that can prompt a halt in education plans.

“There are many things that happen in students’ lives and it’s not necessarily their fault,” says Mike Duffey, senior vice chancellor for the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

The term “stopped out” is used to describe the situation rather than the negative “drop out,” and around 1.5 million Ohioans have some postsecondary education but no degree or credential to show for it. The Ohio Department of Higher Education’s College Comeback program aims to help those students by enlisting the help of Ohio colleges and universities that are willing to offer some debt relief in exchange for new tuition.

College Comeback provides these institutions a roadmap for re-enrolling students based on the successful Warrior Way Back program launched by Detroit’s Wayne State University in 2018. The Ohio program is voluntary, with about 10 schools currently having some version of it. One example is Cleveland State University’s (Re)connect to College program, which offers up to $5,000 in debt relief for fulltime students with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. (Part-time students may receive up to $2,500 in debt relief.)

The College Comeback program also helps colleges face a growing challenge: There are fewer students entering the ranks of higher education than in the past.

“College Comeback addresses all of these issues,” Duffey says. “It focuses on re-enrollment, student debt, stopped-out students and total enrollment.”

To learn more, visit ohiohighered.org/ college-comeback.