FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What school districts does CVCC serve?

CVCC was established to serve the following eight public school districts, known as CVCC’s associate schools:  Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Garfield Heights, Independence, Nordonia Hills, North Royalton, Revere and Twinsburg.  Students who reside in one of these districts, but do not attend the public high school can also attend CVCC.  Students who do not reside in one of these districts can still attend CVCC on a tuition basis.

What kinds of courses does CVCC have to offer?

We have 30 career-technical courses designed to prepare you at graduation to enter the workplace or to go on to higher education in a technical field.  These range from traditional trades classes to highly technical courses in computer science and engineering.  Most courses meet three hours per day and are two years long, beginning in the junior year and continuing through the senior year.   

Where can I find a list of programs?

For a complete list, go to the left-hand side menu on the High School page of this website, click on Programs, then click on Courses in the drop-down menu.  This will bring up the CVCC course catalog Table of Contents.  Clicking on any of the main program headings brings up a PDF of that section of the CVCC course catalog.  Alternatively, in the left-hand side menu on the High School page, click on Programs, then click on Course Catalogs and select Cuyahoga Valley Career Center from the list provided.  This will bring up a PDF of the entire CVCC course catalog.  Hard copies of the catalog are also available at CVCC and in the guidance offices of all of our associate high schools.

Who can take courses at CVCC?

CVCC courses are designed for juniors and seniors, who are enrolled in a diploma-granting high school.  This can be a public high school, private school, charter school or a home school. Some special education programs admit students in Grade 10. 

What are the entrance requirements?

Students must have attained junior standing by the year they begin at CVCC.  There is no overall grade point average requirement, but some courses do have their own prerequisites.  These are described in the CVCC course catalog.

What does it cost to attend CVCC?

There is no tuition charge to attend CVCC for students who reside within one of our eight associate school districts, whether they attend a school located in one of those districts or not.  Students who reside outside the CVCC district must pay tuition to attend.  Tuition is currently $5,400 per year for half-day courses and $8,100 per year for full-day programs.

What about class/laboratory fees?

Do I have to leave my home school to attend CVCC?

You will travel to CVCC daily to take a technical course for half of each school day, but you remain enrolled at your home school, where you take your academic courses the other half of the day.  The Cosmetology and Culinary Arts classes give you the option of attending CVCC all day, taking both your technical and academic coursework here.

How do I get my grades from CVCC?

Think of CVCC as an extension campus for your high school.  We don’t issue a separate report card to you.  We send your grades to your home school, which grants you the credits for the course and puts them on your home school transcript, where they count toward your grade point average and your graduation total.  Most CVCC courses are for 3.5 credits per year.

What kind of diploma will I receive from CVCC?

Because CVCC is not a self-standing comprehensive high school, it does not give you a diploma.  Your diploma will come from your home high school.  The credits you earn at CVCC count toward the total required for you to earn that diploma.  If you meet program requirements, CVCC will give you a Certificate of Career Preparation, showing which course you took here and what skills you have attained.

How do I get to and from CVCC?

Your home school will bus you to and from CVCC daily.  If you have driving privileges at your home school, you can apply for a driving permit for CVCC.  First-year students are not permitted to drive to CVCC the first nine weeks of the year.  They may apply for a driving permit at the end of the first nine weeks if at the end of that period they have a grade of C or better in their CVCC course and have no more than three unexcused tardies and two unexcused absences.

How do you decide which students to accept into your courses?

The decision to send a student to CVCC is made by the Guidance Department in each home school, not by CVCC.  Each associate high school has a certain number of guaranteed slots for each CVCC course.  (The number is proportional to each school’s enrollment.)  In addition, slots are reserved for the population of potential applicants who reside within one of the associate districts but who do not attend the public high school there.  Schools outside the district do not have guaranteed slots.  When a school has more applicants for a course than it has guaranteed slots, some applicants go on a waiting list.   Who gets the guaranteed slots and who goes on the waiting list is a home school decision.  Each home school has its own criteria and procedures for making these decisions.  (For the resident students not attending the public high schools, the decision is made by lottery.)

Is the number of students who get into a course from my school limited to the number of guaranteed slots my school has for that course?

No.  Often, several associate high schools do not use all their guarantees for a course.  Leftover guaranteed slots are redistributed to other schools with students on waiting lists, using a rotation procedure that ensures that each school has an equal opportunity to make use of the unused guarantees.

I want to go to college.  Can I still attend CVCC?

Yes.  Students in any CVCC program can continue on to college after graduation, if they choose.  It is important to plan your home school academic schedule to meet college entrance requirements.  About half of CVCC classes are Tech Prep courses in which students can earn from three to thirty semester hours of college credits for their coursework.  We have articulation agreements with a number of area colleges.  These are summarized in the CVCC course catalog.

I want to work right after high school.  Will CVCC help me find a job?

Yes.  CVCC has a full-time Job Placement Coordinator, who works with students on job search skills, interviewing and preparing a professional resume.  The Coordinator maintains an extensive data base of employers who are looking for graduates with the skills that CVCC provides.  The Coordinator also manages the Early Job Placement Paid Internship Program.  As early as January of their senior year, students who meet attendance and grade guidelines are able to obtain a paid position with a local employer related to their area of study.  They continue to attend their home school classes, but during their CVCC class time, they work at their internship, receiving both pay and high school credit.

Do I have to give up my sports and extracurriculars at my home school to go to CVCC?

Not unless the activity actually takes place during the time of day you are scheduled to be at CVCC.  Most coaches and activity sponsors will work with the CVCC students to help ensure that they are still able to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities at the home school.

Does CVCC offer any sports or extracurriculars of its own?

CVCC has no sports programs.  Every CVCC course is associated with a national leadership development club, through which you can qualify to participate in regional, state and national skill/knowledge competitions in your technical area of study.  In addition, CVCC has a chapter of the National Technical Honor Society, which organizes activities to promote school spirit, such as a Halloween costume contest, a holiday decorating contest, a spring picnic, and others.

How and when do I enroll at CVCC?

Application forms are available in the Guidance Office at each of the associate high schools, as well as at CVCC.  The application must be submitted to the home school guidance office for processing, unless the applicant is home-schooled, in which case it is submitted directly to the Enrollment Counselor at CVCC.  Application takes place beginning in January of the sophomore year for courses starting the following fall.

Can I take more than one CVCC course at a time?

No, because that would leave no time in the school day for your required academic courses at your home school.

Can I start at CVCC in the middle of the year?

No.  Students are accepted into courses only for the beginning of the fall semester.  The only exception is if a student transfers in from the same course at another career center.

Can I quit school and just come to CVCC?

No.  To attend CVCC as a non-high school student, you must be a high school graduate, or have acquired a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or your high school class must have graduated.

Does CVCC have a dress code?

Yes, it is described in detail in the Student Handbook given to every student.  To view a PDF of the handbook, go to the left-hand side menu of the High School page of this website.  Click on Student Info.  On the drop-down menu, click on Handbook.  In addition to the general requirements of the dress code, each course has some form of mandatory campus wear which must be worn at all times the student is at CVCC.  Most programs include the cost of campus wear in the class fee, although some require purchase at local uniform stores.

Does CVCC provide services to students with special needs?

Yes.  Students on IEPs who are enrolled in regular CVCC career-technical courses are assigned to one of our Vocational Special Education staff members (VoSEs), who are responsible for working with the student and his instructor to ensure that the accommodations required by the IEP are implemented.  In addition, CVCC provides some courses designed specifically for students with disabilities.

What about counseling, tutoring and other supportive services?

Each CVCC student is assigned to a guidance counselor, who is available to assist with resolving personal problems, developing goals, transitioning from school to work, selecting an appropriate college and source of financial aid, and more.  Students who are experiencing difficulty with achievement and attendance are assisted by the Student Support Services personnel, who provide tutoring and counseling and facilities and staff for helping struggling students achieve success.  Students needing assistance with career planning and course selection can be referred to the Career Assessment coordinator for a battery of interest, aptitude and ability tests.