This is the season for high school graduations. Even though this year’s ceremonies are looking much different than they have in the past, proud seniors are receiving their hard-earned diplomas - a testament to their hard work, and a passage to what comes next.
This year, 47 local high school students are graduating with something extra-special as well — two-year-associate degrees from Sinclair College.
Ohio’s College Credit Plus program allows students to earn college credits while they are still in high school. The program is open to all public-school students in grades seven through twelve.
The program provides a tremendous financial benefit because students don’t have to pay tuition, and fees, or buy expensive textbooks. Melissa Tolle with Sinclair College says that can mean a lot for some families.
“We have a lot of students and families who didn't necessarily think that college was going to be in the cards for them. And having that opportunity to get a jump start on that and knowing that they're completing a lot of that, that coursework that's going to help them kind of advance their time as they move towards a four-year institution.
Sinclair’s 47 degree recipients come from 20 high schools across the region. In a statement issued through the college, Deontae Brown, a graduate from Wayne High School, called the CCP program through Sinclair challenging.
“The program allowed me to take a wide variety of classes that allowed me to discover what interests me the most,” Brown said. “I was able to get all of my general education courses out of the way and I have now just two more years to complete a bachelor's degree."
Springboro High School grad, Scarlett Cadman, said the CCP program gave her time to figure out subject areas that she enjoyed.
“This helped me narrow down my interests to determine what I want to do with my career,” she said. “Overall, the experience was extremely helpful and the partnership with Sinclair and my high school allowed my family and I to save a significant amount of money.”
The program is available at most colleges and universities - but schools may have different application processes and degree requirements. Find out more at ohiohighered.org/collegecreditplus
