Since 1955, when University of Connecticut Provost Albert Waugh presented an idea to offer more challenging curriculum to those who were up to the challenge, American students have had the option of gaining college credits before receiving their high school diplomas.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of 2025, all 50 states permit dual enrollment for high schoolers. Most states require students to be in high school before they can apply for dual enrollment, but Ohio is one of a handful of states – others include Florida, Maryland and Idaho – that have opened dual enrollment to middle schoolers.
In 2015, Ohio legislators expanded the state’s College Credit Plus (CCP) program to those in grades seven and up. The goal was to improve overall participation rates and minimize barriers for students, and a 2021 state audit showed the program has saved families more than $163 million in tuition costs, an average of $4,368 per family.
CCP
Benefits and pitfalls
Ohio pays for CCP students’ tuition, books and fees, though the state may send a bill if the student fails a given class. That drives down participating students’ college costs, with some – 1,127 as of the 2021 audit – even able to earn their associate’s degrees while still in high school.
The Ohio Department of Education warns that colleges seldom change anything in their curriculum, so younger students may encounter subjects that are more mature than what they’re accustomed to. Parents, guardians and students would also do well to remember that grades from CCP classes are permanent, and will show up on both high school and college transcripts.
Local schools offer more than just classes
Central Ohio school districts make a point of supporting students who take CCP classes. Dublin City Schools, for instance, offers CCP classes taught by professors from partnership colleges at its Emerald Campus, with shuttles transporting students to and from their home schools.
Students in Westerville City Schools and Grandview Heights City Schools, meanwhile, can use internships and hands-on learning programs – such as the John Glenn College of Public Affairs High School Internship Program at The Ohio State University and specialized programs that offer courses in career success skills for CCP class credit – as an alternative to some traditional classes.
KamranAydinov/Magnific
Get The Degree
To get an associate’s degree by high school graduation, students who start in high school must dedicate time for five college classes a year. Students who start in seventh grade can lighten that load to three classes per year until junior year, when they would take have to increase their CCP class total to four to finish out the program
Even those students who have earned their associate’s degree before graduating high school will still be considered new students at a four-year university, which means they’re still eligible for first-time student scholarships.
Angelina Godfrey is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
