OCC Programs

OCC Advantage
Launched in 2016, the OCC Advantage is a college readiness program. Jordan-Elbridge High School has been part of the program since 2019. Students enter the program as high school freshmen. Throughout their 4 years of high school, students meet benchmarks for attendance, grades, and community service, all of which help them build the behaviors and skills necessary for success in college. When they successfully complete the program, students earn the first semester of a full-tuition scholarship to OCC with the opportunity to earn subsequent semesters. In addition, while in high school there is a college readiness skills-building program as well as remediation opportunities for students who need assistance getting back on track with their academic and college goals. The program is funded through a fundraising effort led by the OCC Foundation and community volunteers.

Early College Credits
Starting in 2016 with 7 students from Jordan-Elbridge High School, high school students who had completed specific courses and the majority of the high school curriculum were selected to enroll in courses at OCC to be taken on the Main Campus. Student tuition for the program is paid by the student and their families, with scholarship support from the OCC Foundation and community donors, and transportation and books paid by the school district. Building upon the success of the Jordan-Elbridge School District, in fall 2018 the program includes 8 school districts and 42 students currently enrolled.

College Credit Now
Through College Credit Now, Onondaga Community College enrolls nearly 4,000 high school students each year in college credit-bearing courses that are taken in high school. These courses are offered in disciplines such as English, Communications, Mathematics, Sciences, and Applied Technologies, and are taught by high school instructors whose credentials have been reviewed and approved by OCC faculty. Each high school instructor is assigned an OCC faculty mentor, who works with the instructor to ensure that the course mirrors that which is taught on the OCC campus. Students who successfully complete the course earn college credit to apply to a degree program at OCC or for transfer to another institution. OCC’s College Credit Now program is accredited by the National Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).