Strategic Transfer Education Plan (STEP) FAQs

The Strategic Transfer Educational Plan, or STEP, is a partnership between participating community colleges and Ohio University that is designed to provide an advantage to current and future students from those colleges who are planning to earn a bachelor's degree at OHIO. Program participants plan for a successful transfer to OHIO through advising activities, social and cultural opportunities, and satisfying academic requirements.

The OHIO Guarantee, a cohort based, level-rate tuition, housing, dining, and fee model, ensures affordability and predictability in the cost to attend Ohio University’s Athens campus.  Students enrolled in STEP will be placed in an OHIO Guarantee cohort appropriate to the student’s academic history and progression toward a degree, in many cases realizing cost savings by locking into the Guarantee cohort in advance of applying to OHIO.

Each community college partner has an assigned Ohio University Community admissions advisor who frequently visits that community college and who can answer questions about the program and OHIO on site. Find OHIO's admissions advisors on our partner community college pages. The Student Services office at each of the community colleges will also have information available for students.

To be eligible, students must be admitted to a participating community college after high school and remain in good standing while enrolled. Current or former degree-seeking students at Ohio University are not eligible to participate.

In some cases students will complete all of their community college coursework prior to enrolling at OHIO. Depending on the selected pathway and delivery method, students may or may not have opportunities for concurrent enrollment upon matriculation to OHIO.

Students should fill out the information request form to schedule a meeting with an Ohio University admissions advisor.  After submitting an application to STEP, the student will receive notification of his or her enrollment and OHIO Guarantee cohort.

Students should enroll in STEP prior to applying for degree-seeking transfer admission to OHIO. STEP is designed so that OHIO's staff can assist students through the planning that leads up to their application and enrollment.

While it is preferred that students enroll in STEP upon enrollment at their community college after high school, students can choose to participate in STEP at any time.

STEP students can be admitted to OHIO once they have completed 30 semester hours of credit at their participating community college or the specific online bachelor completion admission requirements. OHIO will conditionally admit students up to one year prior to their anticipated matriculation.

STEP students will be expected to meet the same admission criteria established for all OHIO transfer students, including University and applicable major entry requirements.

Participating students may not be admitted to Ohio University for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to: poor academic standing, disciplinary dismissal or judicial violations, and/or inability to successfully complete general education requirements.

In most cases STEP participants can graduate in 4 years, as long as the student precisely follows the articulation agreement and earns the appropriate grades in each of their courses. Any deviation from established articulation agreements may extend a student's progress toward his or her degree.