Eastern Gateway Community College approves tuition waiver for some high school students

September 10, 2015 at 12:03a.m.

By SARAH LEHR

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Department of Education rolls out its Ohio College Credit Plus program this year, but demand for the program’s tuition discounts already has exceeded available state funding, Eastern Gateway Community College trustees said.

College Credit Plus aims to reduce costs and hassle for seventh- through 12th-graders who pursue credit through public or private colleges. Under the College Credit Plus program, students at local public high schools pay $40 per credit hour to take classes through EGCC. The normal EGCC tuition rate for Jefferson County residents is $111 per credit hour and $117 per credit hour for residents of other Ohio counties. The EGCC board of trustees voted to extend the discounted $40 per credit hour rate to private and home-schooled high- school students at a board meeting Wednesday. The resolution sought to encompass those high school students who wished to benefit from the College Credit Plus Program, but who did not receive adequate funding from the state due to high demand for program. The tuition waiver will go into effect for the Fall 2015 semester, pending approval from the Ohio chancellor. The number of high-school students who will take advantage of the waiver is not yet known, Dean of Enrollment Management Patty Sturch said.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board reviewed tentative enrollment numbers for the upcoming semester. As of last year, enrollment fell about 10 percent from 3,195 total students in fall 2014 to 2,878 students this fall. The head count, which has not yet been finalized for this semester, includes online students. EGCC President Jimmie Bruce, who marked the first board meeting of his presidency Wednesday, discussed plans to increase enrollment, including advertising, redirecting staff to the admissions department and creating partnerships with unions.

In other business, the board accepted a $132,799 bid from Wickham Electric Co. for fire alarm renovation. State capital funds will finance the project.