Registration

Registration deadlines for each semester are published online in the MyServices/Self-Service area of MyCState (requires login) and may be published on the Important Dates page of the College website.

Students may register for classes using these methods:

  • online using MyServices/Self-Service area of MyCState (requires login)
  • in person in the Office of the Registrar (Clifton Campus)
  • by fax sent to the Office of the Registrar at (513) 569-1883

Administrative Withdrawal from Admitted Status and Readmission Process

An admitted student who has not enrolled in classes for three consecutive semesters is administratively removed from admitted status. To regain admitted status, students must reapply for admission by submitting a new Application for Admission and paying a $15 non-refundable fee.

Students who are readmitted must meet the academic program requirements that are in effect at the time of readmission.

  • Previously-admitted students who have not enrolled in any classes for one (1) year must:
    • Resubmit an Application for Admission.
    • Pay a $15 non-refundable admission fee (charged to the student’s first registration bill).
  • Previously-admitted students who are reapplying two (2) years to four (4) years after their prior admission date must:
    • Resubmit an Application for Admission.
    • Pay a $15 non-refundable admission fee (charged to the student’s first registration bill).
  • Previously-admitted students who are reapplying five (5) years or more after their prior admission date must:
    • Resubmit an Application for Admission.
    • Resubmit all required documents.
    • Pay a $15 non-refundable admission fee (charged to the student’s first registration bill).
  • If you have graduated from Cincinnati State with a degree or certificate, but wish to resume studies at the College, you must submit a new Application for Admission.
    • You don't need to resubmit previously-submitted documents.
    • You must pay a $15 non-refundable admission fee (charged to the student’s first registration bill).

For additional information, see the Admission section of the College website.

Changing Degree Programs

Students who wish to change from one associate's degree or certificate program to another must complete the online Change of Major form found under "Admission" in the MyServices/Self-Service area of MyCState.

When a student changes from one degree or certificate program to another, all courses attempted that apply to the new Degree Audit curriculum—with the exception of cooperative education courses—automatically transfer to the new program.

The Degree Audit curriculum is the official set of academic requirements in effect for new students at the time of admission to the degree or certificate program.

Course substitutions that were made for a former program do not apply automatically to the new program. The program chair or academic advisor for the program the student is entering must approve course substitutions.

The new program’s Degree Audit curriculum serves as the basis for calculating the program Grade Point Average (GPA). Additional transfer of courses to the new program, including cooperative education courses, is based on evaluation of the student’s coursework by the program chair and/or cooperative education coordinator.

In situations where coursework is five years old or older, or where requisite skills may have been lost, courses previously taken are subject to review by the program chair and dean. Those courses reviewed that do not meet current program requirements and standards will not count toward degree or certificate requirements.

Completing More Than One Degree (Double Major)

When students are admitted to the College, they are considered to be seeking only one academic degree or certificate. In some cases, students may seek to “double major” by pursuing a second associate’s degree in an area closely related to their initial degree program.

To be considered for a double major, students must first be fully admitted to an associate’s or bachelor's degree program. Students in pre-admit/pathway status are not eligible to apply for a double major. Students seeking a certificate rather than a degree are not eligible to apply for double major status.

To be considered for a double major, students must apply for admission to the second program by completing a double major form available online under "Admission" in the MyServices/Self-Service area of MyCState. The academic division in which the student seeks the second major determines whether the student is eligible to pursue the second major.

Students granted double major status are expected to consult regularly with their program chair and academic advisor (or advisors) to ensure they make appropriate progress in their degree programs. Students with questions or concerns about their academic status or goals should consult with their program chair or advisor, or with the Office of Admission.

Enrollment Status

Enrollment status is determined by the official number of credit hours for which a student registers each semester. Enrollment status often is used to help determine eligibility for financial aid, veteran’s benefits, company and agency funding, health insurance benefits, and auto insurance.

Students are responsible for knowing their enrollment status and understanding the impact of changing their credit hours if using the add/drop process.

Cincinnati State defines a student’s enrollment as follows:

Full-Time Enrollment 12 or more credit hours or full-time cooperative education or internship course
Full-Time Enrollment Co-op 2 credit hours = full-time status
3/4-Time Enrollment 9 - 10 - 11 credit hours
Half-Time Enrollment 6 - 7 - 8 credit hours or enrollment in a part-time (half-time) cooperative education or internship course
Half-Time Enrollment Co-op 1 credit hour = half-time status
Less than Half-Time Enrollment 5 or fewer credit hours

Enrollment Verification

The National Student Clearinghouse is the College’s verifying agent. Students can see their enrollment status at www.studentclearinghouse.org.

Late Registration

Late registration begins prior to the beginning of classes and continues until registration for the class ends. Students who register for their first class during the late registration period will automatically be charged a $100 non-refundable late registration fee. The instructor’s approval will be required to add a class once a semester or term has begun. All registration activity must be processed in the Registrar’s Office.

Specific registration deadlines for each semester are available online in the MyServices/Self-Service area of MyCState (requires login).

Name Changes

To request a name change, students must complete a Personal Data Change form available in the Office of the Registrar. All name change requests must be accompanied by a copy of official supporting documentation. Official documentation includes, but is not limited to, a valid driver’s license, marriage license, divorce decree, or court order for official name change. Only a student’s legal name is used on all records maintained or issued by the College.

Prerequisite Requirements

Before a student is permitted to register for any course, the student must successfully complete prerequisite requirements, or be currently enrolled in the course that is the prerequisite. A prerequisite can be satisfied by an appropriate placement or successful completion of a designated course prior to enrollment in the course with the prerequisite.

Repeated Course

If a course is repeated, only the highest grade is computed in the calculation of the Grade Point Average (GPA). If a student earns the same grade upon repeating a course, only one grade is computed in the calculation of the GPA. The original course grade is still shown on the transcript with an indication that it is not calculated in the GPA.

Limits to Repeated Course

A student who has received a grade of F, W, or any other grade twice for the same course cannot register for the course a third time without the approval of the student’s program chair or academic advisor. The student may be required to meet with an academic advisor to discuss potential for success in the student’s current degree or certificate program.

Students receiving financial aid should be aware of other standards related to repeated courses, discussed in the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Priority Registration

The registration period each semester consists of two overlapping segments or registration “windows”:

  • Priority registration is the time period set aside for active degree-seeking, certificate-seeking, and College Credit Plus (CCP) students, regardless of their accumulated credit hours.
  • Open registration begins approximately one week after Priority registration begins. Students who are not seeking a degree or certificate may register at this time. Applicants who have not been admitted to a degree or certificate program may also register.

For additional information regarding online registration, please refer to the Registrar section of the College website.

Academic Reassessment Policies (Fresh Start and Academic Forgiveness)

Cincinnati State recognizes that, in some circumstances, students may seek to have their cumulative and program Grade Point Averages (GPA) adjusted to reflect their academic success in their current program.

There are two methods available for reassessment:

  • Fresh Start applies to returning students after an absence of three (3) years or more.
  • Academic Forgiveness applies to current students, or those returning after an absence of less than three (3) years.

Both Fresh Start and Academic Forgiveness are one-time, non-reversible options. Courses previously used to complete a degree or certificate earned at Cincinnati State, or applicable to the student’s current program of study, are not eligible for reassessment.

Students who plan to transfer to another college or university should note that the new college or university may use all grades earned in computing GPAs for admission or other purposes.

Fresh Start

For Fresh Start eligibility, students must:

  • Complete all readmission procedures and requirements.
  • Be admitted to a degree or certificate program.
  • Have completed all Developmental Education/Academic Foundations requirements, if applicable.
  • Have 12 or more credits remaining in their program, not including coursework for which Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades are assigned.


To request Fresh Start, students must:

  • Complete a petition for Fresh Start (available in academic division offices) in consultation with the program chair or academic advisor. This petition lists courses in which the student earned grades of D or F and requests that they no longer be calculated in the GPA.
  • Submit the completed petition to the Office of the Registrar by the 15th day of the full semester, and within two semesters of admission to a degree or certificate program at Cincinnati State.


Academic Forgiveness

For Academic Forgiveness eligibility, students must:

  • Be admitted to a degree or certificate program.
  • Have completed all Developmental Education/Academic Foundations requirements, if applicable.
  • Have 12 or more credits to complete in their program, not including coursework for which Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades are assigned.


To request Academic Forgiveness, students must:

  • Complete a minimum of 12 additional credits and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher and earn no grade lower than a C. Developmental Education/Academic Foundations courses and co-op courses are not eligible.
  • Complete a petition for Academic Forgiveness (available in academic division offices) in consultation with the program chair or academic advisor. This petition lists courses in which the student earned grades of D or F and requests that they no longer be calculated in the grade point average.
  • Submit the completed petition to the Office of the Registrar by the 15th  day of the full semester. Late petitions are held until the following semester.


Upon receipt of the request for Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness, the Office of the Registrar reviews submitted petitions. If the petition is approved, the following statement appears on the student’s transcript:

“The (Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness) policy has been applied to academic work at Cincinnati State prior to (term/year of petition approval).

Grades for all courses will remain on the transcript but will be marked with an asterisk and the cumulative grade point average will be recalculated based upon the remaining applicable courses completed.

If a student does not meet requirements for Fresh Start or Academic Forgiveness, they will be informed that the petition has been denied and may resubmit the petition when they are eligible.