High school students save $144 million on college costs

COLUMBUS  — More than 68,000 high school students in Ohio took college classes during the 2016-17 academic year, earning college credit while meeting their high school graduation requirements and collectively saving more than $144 million on the cost of higher education.

College Credit Plus

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) released details on the second full year of Ohio’s innovative College Credit Plus program, which allows college-ready students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school.

Students from public, private and in-home schools participated in College Credit Plus, and the program is open to college-ready students in grades 7 through 12.

Because the program is funded with state education dollars, and tuition rates negotiated with Ohio colleges and universities, there is little or no cost to participating students and families.

The program’s second-year numbers are up from the 2015-16 academic year when slightly more than 54,000 students participated at a total savings of nearly $124 million on college tuition.

Stats

Of the 68,365 students who participated in College Credit Plus during the 2016-17 school year, the majority (44 percent) were high school seniors.

A total of 28 percent were juniors, approximately 14 percent were freshmen and sophomores, and less than 1 percent came from 7th and 8th grades.

The remaining 13 percent are home-school and private-school students whose specific grades were not reported.

The gender breakdown stayed nearly the same from year one to year two, with 56 percent female participants and 44 percent male in 2016, a slight increase from 55 percent female and 45 percent male in the first year of College Credit Plus.

The majority of College Credit Plus students enrolled in five main core content areas: English (70 percent), social sciences (51 percent), science (41 percent), math (37 percent), and arts and humanities (33 percent).

More than 90 percent of participating students received passing grades, resulting in earned college credits.

College Credit Plus is another way Ohio has made higher education more affordable, along with holding down tuition and fees, and helping colleges and universities identify efficiencies to reduce costs and pass the savings on to students.

Details

Now in its third academic year, the College Credit Plus program is poised for continued growth. For more information about College Credit Plus, visit www.ohiohighered.org/ccp.