(A) A student enrolled in a public or nonpublic secondary school during the student's ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade school year; a student enrolled in a nonchartered nonpublic secondary school in the student's ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade school year; or a student who has been excused from the compulsory attendance law for the purpose of home instruction under section 3321.04 of the Revised Code and is the equivalent of a ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade student, may apply to and enroll in a college under the college credit plus program.

(1) In order for a public secondary school student to participate in the program, all of the following criteria shall be met:

(a) The student or the student's parent shall inform the principal, or equivalent, of the student's school by the first day of April of the student's intent to participate in the program during the following school year. Any student who fails to provide the notification by the required date may not participate in the program during the following school year without the written consent of the principal, or equivalent. If a student seeks consent from the principal after failing to provide notification by the required date, the principal shall notify the department of education of the student's intent to participate within ten days of the date on which the student seeks consent. If the principal does not provide written consent, the student may appeal the principal's decision to the governing entity of the school, except for a student who is enrolled in a school district, who may appeal the decision to the district superintendent. Not later than thirty days after the notification of the appeal, the district superintendent or governing entity shall hear the appeal and shall make a decision to either grant or deny that student's participation in the program. The decision of the district superintendent or governing entity shall be final.

(b) The student shall :

(i) Apply to a public or a participating private college, or an eligible out-of-state college participating in the program, in accordance with the college's established procedures for admission, pursuant to section 3365.05 of the Revised Code;

(ii) As a condition of eligibility, be remediation-free, in accordance with one of the assessments established under division (F) of section 3345.061 of the Revised Code. However, a student who scores within one standard error of measurement below the remediation-free threshold for one of those assessments shall be considered to have met this requirement if the student also either:

(I) Has a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 3.0. If the student is seeking to participate under section 3365.033 of the Revised Code, the student must have an equivalent cumulative grade point average in the applicable grade levels.

(II) Receives a recommendation from a school counselor, principal, or career-technical program advisor.

(iii) Meet the college's and relevant academic program's established standards for admission, enrollment, and course placement, including course-specific capacity limitations, pursuant to section 3365.05 of the Revised Code.

(c) The student shall elect at the time of enrollment to participate under either division (A) or (B) of section 3365.06 of the Revised Code for each course under the program.

(d) The student and the student's parent shall sign a form, provided by the school, stating that they have received the counseling required under division (B) of section 3365.04 of the Revised Code and that they understand the responsibilities they must assume in the program.

(2) In order for a nonpublic secondary school student, a nonchartered nonpublic secondary school student, or a home-instructed student to participate in the program, both of the following criteria shall be met:

(a) The student shall meet the criteria in divisions (A)(1)(b) and (c) of this section.

(b)

(i) If the student is enrolled in a nonpublic secondary school, that student shall send to the department of education a copy of the student's acceptance from a college and an application. The application shall be made on forms provided by the state board of education and shall include information about the student's proposed participation, including the school year in which the student wishes to participate; and the semesters or terms the student wishes to enroll during such year. The department shall mark each application with the date and time of receipt.

(ii) If the student is enrolled in a nonchartered nonpublic secondary school or is home-instructed, the parent or guardian of that student shall notify the department by the first day of April prior to the school year in which the student wishes to participate.

(B) Except as provided for in division (C) of this section and in sections 3365.031 and 3365.032 of the Revised Code:

(1) No public secondary school shall prohibit a student enrolled in that school from participating in the program if that student meets all of the criteria in division (A)(1) of this section.

(2) No participating nonpublic secondary school shall prohibit a student enrolled in that school from participating in the program if the student meets all of the criteria in division (A)(2) of this section and, if the student is enrolled under division (B) of section 3365.06 of the Revised Code, the student is awarded funding from the department in accordance with rules adopted by the chancellor of higher education, in consultation with the superintendent of public instruction, pursuant to section 3365.071 of the Revised Code.

(C) For purposes of this section, during the period of an expulsion imposed by a public secondary school, a student is ineligible to apply to enroll in a college under this section, unless the student is admitted to another public secondary or participating nonpublic secondary school. If a student is enrolled in a college under this section at the time the student is expelled, the student's status for the remainder of the college term in which the expulsion is imposed shall be determined under section 3365.032 of the Revised Code.

(D) Upon a student's graduation from high school, participation in the college credit plus program shall not affect the student's eligibility at any public college for scholarships or for other benefits or opportunities that are available to first-time college students and are awarded by that college, regardless of the number of credit hours that the student completed under the program.

(E) The college to which a student applies to participate under this section shall pay for one assessment used to determine that student's eligibility under this section. However, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code, any additional assessments used to determine the student's eligibility shall be the financial responsibility of the student.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017, op. for students seeking to participate in the College Credit Plus program during the 2018-2019 school year.

Added by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 487, §1, eff. 9/17/2014.

Related Legislative Provision: See 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §733.20.