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Students who wish to participate in the “3 and a Book” program should complete the form found at www.cincinnatistate.edu/summer and submit their high school transcript, or call 513-569-1640 for more information.
Area high school students will be offered the opportunity to take up to three credit hours of courses, with free books and no college fees, this summer at Cincinnati State or Cincinnati State Middletown.
The program, called “3 and a Book,” offers free tuition and textbooks for students this summer. Each credit hour at Cincinnati State costs $148.64 and with the cost of books and college fees, the three credit hours are valued at about $600, said Dr. O’Dell M. Owens, the university president.
He said Cincinnati States wants high school students to “get a leg up on college,” and hopefully return to Cincinnati State when they graduate from high school.
“This is our give-back to the community,” he said.
Bob White, communications coordinator for Cincinnati State, called the program ideal for someone who “find programs that match their needs.”
The offer applies to any Butler, Warren, Hamilton, or Clermont county high school student who takes a class at Cincinnati State’s Clifton or Middletown campuses during the summer 2015 semester. The offer includes rising ninth-graders and 2015 graduates, Owens said.
College credits earned by high school students who successfully complete a course under Cincinnati State’s summer program can transfer to any public college or university in Ohio, he said. Institutions in other states may accept the credits too, he said.
Unlike the dual enrollment or College Credit Plus programs during the regular school year in Ohio, the “3 and A Book” summer program at Cincinnati State does not have a financial or administrative impact on high schools, he said.
Owens said Cincinnati State has a vested interest in attracting qualified students to its campuses, and also embraces recent initiatives by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and state legislative leaders to reduce the time and cost for students to earn a college degree.
The Ohio Senate is debating a bill that would require public colleges and universities to submit plans by Sept. 1 on how they could reduce in-state student costs by 5 percent. The bill, however, doesn’t require that the institutions execute the plans.
Kasich also established a college affordability task force headed by Geoff Chatas, OSU’s chief financial officer who just announced he is leaving the school for a job in the private sector.
There are 536 students enrolled at Cincinnati State Middletown, according to White. Cincinnati State Middletown became Butler County’s first community college when it opened in 2012.
Staff Writer Laura A. Bischoff contributed to this report.
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