Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective Students
Any money that is owed directly to one of the eight participating colleges or universities (for tuition and fees, library fines, parking tickets, etc.) is eligible for forgiveness through the Compact. Federal or state government loans, loans from private lenders, or debt owed to other colleges and universities, is not eligible for forgiveness through the Compact.
Students must satisfy the following criteria in order to be eligible to participate in the Compact:
– Must have been enrolled in one of the Compact’s participating institutions, with the most recent enrollment at least 2 terms (at least one spring and one fall) prior to the next available term in which they can enroll.
– Must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA as of their final term at the previously attended institution.
– Must owe a certified debt of $5,000 or less to one previously attended Compact institution (not more than one institution).
– Debt must be certified by the Office of the Attorney General, and not assigned to a special counsel.
– Cannot currently be involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
– Cannot currently be enrolled in an associates or bachelor’s degree or certificate program at any Compact institution or non-participating institution.
– Cannot previously have received the maximum debt cancellation through the Compact.
To indicate your interest and see if you are eligible to participate in the Compact, complete this quick form. After you complete the form, an advisor will contact you with more information.
Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Lorain County Community College, Stark State College, The University of Akron, and Youngstown State University are participating in the Compact.
These colleges and universities are all in Northeast Ohio and often have students who transfer between them. These colleges and universities are also committed to helping students by working together to re-enroll students, forgive debt, and increase credential attainment.
If you are interested in College Comeback programs available at other colleges or universities, please visit the Ohio Department of Higher Education website.
Students enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program or a certificate program are eligible for participation in the Compact. Advisors will work with students to find a degree or certificate program that works for them.
Advisors from the eight participating colleges or universities can support you in making a decision about where to re-enroll.
To indicate your interest and see if you are eligible to participate in the Compact, complete this quick form. After you complete the form, an advisor will contact you with more information.
Through this Compact, you can have up to $5,000 of debt forgiven.
– If you only need one semester’s worth of credits to complete your degree or certificate, you can have all $5,000 canceled in a single semester.
– If you need more than one semester’s worth of credits to complete your degree or certificate, you can have up to $2,500 canceled after completing the first semester. By completing the second semester, you can have an additional $2,500 canceled. If you only complete one semester and do not continue to a second semester, you will still receive up to $2,500 in debt forgiveness for the semester you did complete.
Once you re-enroll, you must complete a set of activities in order to qualify for the debt forgiveness. See the FAQ below to learn more about these activities.
To indicate your interest and see if you are eligible to participate in the Compact, complete this quick form. After you complete the form, an advisor from either one of the Compact colleges or universities or College Now Greater Cleveland, will contact you with more information.
To participate in the Compact and have your debt forgiven you must:
– sign a Permission Form to allow your educational records to be shared within the Compact;
– sign a Student Participation Agreement, which states that you intend to complete the qualifying activities and agree to pay any debt not canceled through the Compact to the original college or university you attended, either through a payment plan or as a single payment;
– complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid);
– participate in advising with an advisor at the school at which you intend to enroll, prior to enrollment;
– be admitted by a college or university participating in the Compact, according to the school’s admission requirements;
– pay your current semester’s tuition and fees at the participating college or university in which you enroll in full, as a single payment or through a payment plan;
– meet with an advisor at the participating college or university in which you enroll at least twice per semester; and
– complete at least one semester at a participating college or university and in that semester, earn at least 6 credits towards an associates or bachelor’s degree, or a designated certificate program approved by your new college or university. Or earn the remaining credits to obtain your associates or bachelor’s degree, or certificate.
Debt forgiveness occurs after you complete the semester and all the qualifying activities during that semester.
To indicate your interest and see if you are eligible to participate in the Compact, complete this quick form. After you complete the form, an advisor from either one of the eight participating colleges or universities or College Now Greater Cleveland, will contact you with more information.
If all of the money you owe your former institution is forgiven, you will no longer receive collections letters or have tax refunds and other state payments reduced for collection. When your transcript is released, you will be able to access it in the same manner as any other student.
Please note the Compact does not provide debt or tax advice, and students should consult a professional for information about their personal situation.
Compact Background, Goals, and Logistics
All of the Compact colleges have a shared goal of removing barriers that stand in the way of students continuing their education and helping more people in Northeast Ohio earn degrees and certificates. When a Compact student enrolls in a different college or university, the college that enrolls the student will make an initial $500 payment to the college or university the student previously attended, followed by a $250 payment for students who continue for a second semester.
Ithaka S+R estimates that 60,000 of Ohio’s 222,000 individuals with stranded credits live in the Northeast region of the state. In the pilot year of the Compact, about 15 percent of those students were eligible to participate.
The Compact will be successful if it helps Ohioans return to college, earn their degrees or certificates, and reduce or eliminate the money they owe their former schools. Ithaka S+R and the Compact colleges and universities will closely monitor these outcomes and look for opportunities to expand the Compact to other institutions in Ohio.
Ithaka S+R, a not-for-profit organization, is partnering with the Compact colleges and universities and the Ohio Department of Higher Education to implement the Compact. Ithaka S+R has been at the forefront of defining the problem of stranded credits and first published a report on the issue in October 2020.
Learn more about the other partners involved in the coordination and facilitation of the Compact.