College Credit Plus

College Credit Plus

The College Credit Plus (CCP) program at Cincinnati State gives students in grades 7 through 12 the opportunity to earn college credit at little to no cost prior to graduating from high school. The program promotes rigorous academic pursuits and provides a variety of options for eligible college-ready students to get an early start toward completing a college degree.

Through the CCP program, public school students may take Cincinnati State courses with no cost for tuition, books, or fees.

Students from private schools and homeschools participating in CCP may have limited costs. Students from private schools and homeschools must apply to the Ohio Department of Education to receive funding to underwrite their costs; otherwise, Cincinnati State may bill students for courses registered. 

Qualified students may take college courses:

  • In the high school classroom, taught by a high school teacher who has been approved to teach the college course
  • At any Cincinnati State campus or designated high school location, taught by Cincinnati State faculty
  • Online, taught by Cincinnati State faculty

College courses taken as a CCP student earn college credit at Cincinnati State as well as high school credit applicable toward high school graduation. Upon graduation from high school, students can continue their education at Cincinnati State to complete an associate's degree or certificate program, or transfer college credits earned to another college or university.

Program Eligibility

Cincinnati State adheres to the Admission and Eligibility requirements of the Ohio Department of Higher Education College Credit Plus program.

  • Students must be Ohio residents to participate in the CCP program. Public school students must be enrolled in a high school in Ohio and the school must be able to receive “foundation” funding for that student’s enrollment.
  • Any student interested in enrolling in a public college or university must be considered a resident of Ohio as defined in state law.
  • All students must apply for admission to Cincinnati State following the CCP Application process.
  • All students seeking to participate in CCP must be academically assessed to determine readiness to participate. Readiness is determined after review of a high school transcript and/or an assessment exam such as ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer.

High School counselors help students understand available CCP options, deadlines, and how to proceed. Students eligible for CCP must apply for admission to the College and must work with a CCP advisor at the College to discuss course placement options.

Prior to applying to the College, public school students who intend to participate in CCP must file a Letter of Intent with their local school district. The letter must be filed each academic year by April 1.

Private high school and homeschool students are eligible to participate in the CCP program and receive state funding under certain circumstances.

  • Students attending a private high school and homeschool students must apply to the Ohio Department of Education to receive funding to underwrite their costs. Students who are eligible for CCP support are funded for a specific number of credit hours as determined by a state-provided formula.
  • The families of students who register for additional credit hours are responsible for tuition and fees that exceed the approved number of credit hours at the same reduced tuition rate as fully funded students.

While non-Ohio residents cannot participate or receive CCP funding, they may be able to enroll in College courses as Non-Degree Seeking students, at the applicable non-resident or international tuition rate. For more information, contact the College Office of Admission at (513) 861-7700.

For additional CCP information: