FAQs

Southern State has two convenient Campus Locations in Hillsboro and Mt. Orab. We primarily serve the counties of Adams, Brown, Clinton, Highland, and Fayette.

We offer a host of academic programs including both technical and transfer programs. Because students attend college for a variety of reasons, Southern State strives to offer a diversified curriculum that serves to either train students for a particular career after receiving their associate degree or to prepare students for transfer to a four-year institution. We continually review our curriculum to align academic offerings with workforce demand. Over the past several years, Southern State has added new programs to meet demands in the health field, human and social services field, as well as the ever-changing field of technology. View all the programs we offer at Programs & Careers.

Southern State is accredited by the Higher Learner Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit Accreditation.

Unknown to many students and families, there are many sources of financial aid available to you–the key is finding the resources and applying for them. The primary purpose of the financial aid program at Southern State is to enable qualified students with limited financial resources to attend college. We make every effort to secure the needed funds so students may attain their educational goals. For more information, visit Apply for Financial Aid.

Among the many sources of financial aid are the federal and state programs which include Grants & Loans and Work Study appropriations. Often times, students find that these programs assist in covering a major portion of their college expenses. To find out if you qualify, the Office of Financial Aid strongly encourages students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, often referred to as the FAFSA. Students are always welcome to schedule an appointment with any of our highly trained and qualified financial aid staff in order to get assistance in completing their financial aid forms.

In addition to the federal and state aid programs, there are a host of scholarships available to students. The Trustee and Foundation Scholarships provide thousands of dollars to students each year and are often relatively easy to obtain. For a complete listing of available scholarships and applications, visit Scholarships.

For many students, Southern State is just the beginning of a learning process that starts close to home with individual attention and will progress to a four-year college or university where a bachelor's degree may be attained. In most circumstances, the Associate of Arts (A.A) and the Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees provide for a core of courses required of most students who wish to transfer. The general education program, the core of the A.A. and A.S. programs, is made up of introductory courses in English, mathematics, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences and natural and physical sciences. Completing the Ohio Transfer 36 requirements satisfies the State of Ohio Transfer Module to any other public college or university in Ohio.

The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. This kind of environment provides for a great deal of individual attention and support.

The credit hour is the unit used to measure course work. The number of credits assigned to a course is usually defined as the number of hours the class meets per week (e.g. 3 semester hours = 3 hours per week for a 15 or 16 week term).

Most students entering college aren't certain what they want to study. In an ideal world, you would know exactly what career you want to pursue and begin courses in that field. For the majority, the decision isn't clear so it is wise to enroll in general education courses until a major can be determined. General education course are courses required of nearly every degree and include such courses as English, mathematics, social sciences (history, psychology, sociology,) natural sciences (biology, chemistry, earth science) and humanities (philosophy, literature). For assistance in making career and educational planning choices you can either schedule a time to meet with our Career Services department, or visit SSCC's online Career Explorer.

Southern State follows an open admission policy which is a policy that grants admission to an applicant who has graduated from an accredited secondary school or GED program without regard to grade point average, test scores or class standing.

Southern State is on a rolling-admission system which means we accept applications anytime during the year. However, we do recommend that students pay close attention to registration deadlines and other important dates.

Child care services are provided for Southern State students, faculty, and staff at the Patri-Tots Learning Centers on Central Campus (Hillsboro). The general public can also take advantage of these services. The center is owned and operated by the YMCA and are licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.