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As Introduced
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
H. B. No. 62
2025-2026
Representatives Pizzulli, Bird
Cosponsors: Representatives Thomas,
D., Click, Williams, Ritter, Miller, K., Jones, Robb Blasdel,
Brennan, John, Schmidt, Peterson, Salvo
A
BILL
To
amend
sections
3365.05 and
3365.07
and to enact section 3365.072 of the Revised Code
regarding
the College Credit Plus Program.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
sections
3365.05 and
3365.07
be amended and section 3365.072 of the Revised Code be enacted to
read as follows:
Sec.
3365.05.
Each
public and participating private college shall do all of the
following with respect to the college credit plus program:
(A)
Apply established standards and procedures for admission to the
college and for course placement for participants. When determining
admission and course placement, the college shall do all of the
following:
(1)
Consider all available student data that may be an indicator of
college readiness, including grade point average and end-of-course
examination scores, if applicable;
(2)
Give priority to its current students regarding enrollment in
courses. However, once a participant has been accepted into a course,
the college shall not displace the participant for another student.
(3)
Adhere to any capacity limitations that the college has established
for specified courses.
(B)
Send written notice to the participant, the participant's parent, and
the participant's secondary school, not later than fourteen calendar
days prior to the first day of classes for that term, of the
participant's admission to the college and to specified courses under
the program.
(C)
Provide both of the following, not later than twenty-one calendar
days after the first day of classes for that term, to each
participant and the participant's secondary school:
(1)
The courses and hours of enrollment of the participant;
(2)
The option elected by the participant under division (A) or (B) of
section 3365.06 of the Revised Code for each course.
The
college shall also provide to each partnering school a roster of
participants from that school that are enrolled in the college and a
list of course assignments for each participant.
(D)
Promote the program on the college's web site, including the details
of the college's current agreements with partnering secondary
schools.
(E)
Coordinate with each partnering secondary school that is located
within thirty miles of the college to present at least one
informational session per school year for interested students and
parents. The session shall include the benefits and consequences of
participation and shall outline any changes or additions to the
requirements of the program. If there are no partnering schools
located within thirty miles of the college, the college shall
coordinate with the closest partnering school to offer an
informational session.
(F)
Assign an academic advisor that is employed by the college to each
participant enrolled in that college. Prior to the date on which a
withdrawal from a course would negatively affect a participant's
transcripted grade, as prescribed by the college's established
withdrawal policy, the college shall ensure that the academic advisor
and the participant meet at least once to discuss the program and the
courses in which the participant is enrolled.
(G)
Do both of the following with regard to high school teachers that are
teaching courses for the college at a secondary school under the
program:
(1)
Provide at least one professional development session per school
year;
(2)
Conduct at least one classroom observation per school year for each
course that is authorized by the college and taught by a high school
teacher to ensure that the course meets the quality of a
college-level course.
(H)
Annually collect, report, and track specified data related to the
program according to data reporting guidelines adopted by the
chancellor of higher education and the department of education and
workforce pursuant to section 3365.15 of the Revised Code.
(I)
Require each participant to complete an orientation that meets
guidelines issued by the chancellor and the department. The
chancellor and the department shall make those guidelines as concise
as is practicable.
(J)
Provide
notice to the secondary school of a participant who withdraws from a
course.
(K)
With
the exception of divisions (D) and (E) of this section, any eligible
out-of-state college participating in the college credit plus program
shall be subject to the same requirements as a participating private
college under this section.
Sec.
3365.07.
The
department of education and workforce shall calculate and pay state
funds to colleges for participants in the college credit plus program
under division (B) of section 3365.06 of the Revised Code pursuant to
this section. For a nonpublic secondary school participant, a
nonchartered nonpublic secondary school participant, or a
home-educated participant, the department shall pay state funds
pursuant to this section only if that participant is awarded funding
according to rules adopted by the chancellor of higher education, in
consultation with the department of education and workforce, pursuant
to section 3365.071 of the Revised Code. The program shall be the
sole mechanism by which state funds are paid to colleges for students
to earn transcripted credit for college courses while enrolled in
both a secondary school and a college, with the exception of state
funds paid to colleges according to an agreement described in
division (A)(1) of section 3365.02 of the Revised Code.
(A)
For each public or nonpublic secondary school participant enrolled in
a public college:
(1)
If no agreement has been entered into under division (A)(2) of this
section, both of the following shall apply:
(a)
The department shall pay to the college the applicable amount as
follows:
(i)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered on the
college campus
,
or
at
another location operated by the college,
or online,
the lesser of the default ceiling amount or the college's standard
rate
;
.
However, if that college course is also offered at the participant's
secondary school and taught by a high school teacher who has met the
credential requirements established for purposes of the program in
rules adopted by the chancellor, the department instead shall pay the
college the default floor amount.
(ii)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered
online
or
at
the participant's secondary school but taught by college faculty, the
lesser of fifty per cent of the default ceiling amount or the
college's standard rate;
(iii)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered at the
participant's secondary school and taught by a high school teacher
who has met the credential requirements established for purposes of
the program in rules adopted by the chancellor, the default floor
amount.
(b)
The
participant's
secondary school shall pay for textbooks, and the
college
shall waive payment of all other fees related to participation in the
program.
(2)
The governing entity of a participant's secondary school and the
college may enter into an agreement to establish an alternative
payment structure for tuition
,
textbooks,
and fees. Under such an agreement, payments for each participant made
by the department shall be not less than the default floor amount,
unless approved by the chancellor, and not more than either the
default ceiling amount or the college's standard rate, whichever is
less. The chancellor may approve an agreement that includes a payment
below the default floor amount, as long as the provisions of the
agreement comply with all other requirements of this chapter to
ensure program quality. If no agreement is entered into under
division (A)(2) of this section, both of the following shall apply:
(a)
The department shall pay to the college the applicable default
amounts prescribed by division (A)(1)(a) of this section, depending
upon the method of delivery and instruction.
(b)
In accordance with division (A)(1)(b) of this section,
the
participant's secondary school shall pay for textbooks, and
the
college shall waive payment of all other fees related to
participation in the program.
(3)
No participant that is enrolled in a public college shall be charged
for any tuition, textbooks, or other fees related to participation in
the program.
(B)
For each public secondary school participant enrolled in a private
college:
(1)
If no agreement has been entered into under division (B)(2) of this
section, the department shall pay to the college the applicable
amount calculated in the same manner as in division (A)(1)(a) of this
section.
(2)
The governing entity of a participant's secondary school and the
college may enter into an agreement to establish an alternative
payment structure for tuition, textbooks, and fees. Under such an
agreement, payments shall be not less than the default floor amount,
unless approved by the chancellor, and not more than either the
default ceiling amount or the college's standard rate, whichever is
less.
If
an agreement is entered into under division (B)(2) of this section,
both of the following shall apply:
(a)
The department shall make a payment to the college for each
participant that is equal to the default floor amount, unless
approved by the chancellor to pay an amount below the default floor
amount. The chancellor may approve an agreement that includes a
payment below the default floor amount, as long as the provisions of
the agreement comply with all other requirements of this chapter to
ensure program quality.
(b)
Payment for costs for the participant that exceed the amount paid by
the department pursuant to division (B)(2)(a) of this section shall
be negotiated by the school and the college. The agreement may
include a stipulation permitting the charging of a participant.
However,
under no circumstances shall:
(i)
Payments for a participant made by the department under division
(B)(2) of this section exceed the lesser of the default ceiling
amount or the college's standard rate;
(ii)
The amount charged to a participant under division (B)(2) of this
section exceed the difference between the maximum per participant
charge amount and the default floor amount;
(iii)
The sum of the payments made by the department for a participant and
the amount charged to that participant under division (B)(2) of this
section exceed the following amounts, as applicable:
(I)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered on the
college campus
,
or
at
another location operated by the college,
or online,
the maximum per participant charge amount;
(II)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered
online
or
at
the participant's secondary school but taught by college faculty, one
hundred twenty-five dollars;
(III)
For a participant enrolled in a college course delivered at the
participant's secondary school and taught by a high school teacher
who has met the credential requirements established for purposes of
the program in rules adopted by the chancellor, one hundred dollars.
(iv)
A participant that is identified as economically disadvantaged
according to rules adopted by the department be charged under
division (B)(2) of this section for any tuition, textbooks, or other
fees related to participation in the program
or charged under section 3365.072 of the Revised Code for textbooks
.
(C)
For each nonpublic secondary school participant enrolled in a private
or eligible out-of-state college, the department shall pay to the
college the applicable amount calculated in the same manner as in
division (A)(1)(a) of this section. Payment for costs for the
participant that exceed the amount paid by the department shall be
negotiated by the governing body of the nonpublic secondary school
and the college.
However,
under no circumstances shall:
(1)
The payments for a participant made by the department under this
division exceed the lesser of the default ceiling amount or the
college's standard rate.
(2)
Any nonpublic secondary school participant, who is enrolled in that
secondary school with a scholarship awarded under either the
educational choice scholarship pilot program, as prescribed by
sections 3310.01 to 3310.17, or the pilot project scholarship
program, as prescribed by sections 3313.974 to 3313.979 of the
Revised Code, and who qualifies as a low-income student, as
determined by a method established by the department be charged for
any tuition
,
textbooks,
or other fees related to participation in the college credit plus
program.
(D)
For each nonchartered nonpublic secondary school participant and each
home-educated participant enrolled in a public, private, or eligible
out-of-state college, the department shall pay to the college the
lesser of the default ceiling amount or the college's standard rate,
if that participant is enrolled in a college course delivered on the
college campus, at another location operated by the college, or
online.
(E)
Not later than thirty days after the end of each term, each college
expecting to receive payment for the costs of a participant under
this section shall notify the department of the number of enrolled
credit hours for each participant.
(F)
The department shall make the applicable payments under this section
to each college, which provided proper notification to the department
under division (E) of this section, for the number of enrolled credit
hours for participants enrolled in the college under division (B) of
section 3365.06 of the Revised Code. Except in cases involving
incomplete participant information or a dispute of participant
information, payments shall be made by the last day of January for
participants who were enrolled during the fall term and by the last
day of July for participants who were enrolled during the spring
term. The department shall not make any payments to a college under
this section if a participant withdrew from a course prior to the
date on which a withdrawal from the course would have negatively
affected the participant's transcripted grade, as prescribed by the
college's established withdrawal policy.
(1)
Payments made for public secondary school participants under this
section shall be deducted as follows:
(a)
For a participant enrolled in a school district, from the school
foundation payments made to the participant's school district. If the
participant is enrolled in a joint vocational school district, a
portion of the amount shall be deducted from the payments to the
joint vocational school district and a portion shall be deducted from
the payments to the participant's city, local, or exempted village
school district in accordance with the full-time equivalency of the
student's enrollment in each district.
(b)
For a participant enrolled in a community school established under
Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, from the payments made to that
school under section 3317.022 of the Revised Code;
(c)
For a participant enrolled in a STEM school, from the payments made
to that school under section 3317.022 of the Revised Code;
(d)
For a participant enrolled in a college-preparatory boarding school,
from the payments made to that school under section 3328.34 of the
Revised Code;
(e)
For a participant enrolled in the state school for the deaf or the
state school for the blind, from the amount paid to that school with
funds appropriated by the general assembly for support of Ohio deaf
and blind education services;
(f)
For a participant enrolled in an institution operated by the
department of youth services, from the amount paid to that
institution with funds appropriated by the general assembly for
support of that institution.
Amounts
deducted under divisions (F)(1)(a) to (f) of this section shall be
calculated in accordance with rules adopted by the chancellor, in
consultation with the department of education and workforce, pursuant
to division (B) of section 3365.071 of the Revised Code
(2)
Payments made for nonpublic secondary school participants,
nonchartered nonpublic secondary school participants, and
home-educated participants under this section shall be deducted from
moneys appropriated by the general assembly for such purpose.
Payments shall be allocated and distributed in accordance with rules
adopted by the chancellor, in consultation with the department of
education and workforce, pursuant to division (A) of section 3365.071
of the Revised Code.
(G)
Any public college that enrolls a student under division (B) of
section 3365.06 of the Revised Code may include that student in the
calculation used to determine its state share of instruction funds
appropriated to the department of higher education by the general
assembly.
Sec.
3365.072.
This
section applies only to participants who elect to participate under
division (B) of section 3365.06 of the Revised Code.
(A)
As used in this section:
(1)
"Open source materials" means free and publicly available
educational materials. "Open source materials" includes a
free and publicly available textbook.
(2)
"Program course" means a course in which a participant is
enrolled.
(3)
"Purchase-only textbook" means a textbook that is not free
and publicly available and that must be purchased.
(B)
Each public and participating private college shall endeavor to use
open source materials, in lieu of purchase-only textbooks, in a
program course.
(C)
In the case of a public or participating private college using a
purchase-only textbook in a program course when there are open source
materials that may be used in lieu of that textbook, the college
shall pay for the participant's textbook.
(D)
In the case of a public or participating private college using a
purchase-only textbook in a program course because there are no open
source materials that may be used in lieu of that textbook, the
college shall pay fifty per cent of the textbook's cost and the
participant's secondary school shall pay fifty per cent of the
textbook's cost.
(E)
Any eligible out-of-state college participating in the college credit
plus program is subject to this section in the same manner as a
participating private college.
Section
2.
That
existing
sections
3365.05 and
3365.07
of the Revised Code
are
hereby
repealed.