On Tuesday, the Ohio Board of Regents posted links[1] to the state's 13 public universities who have now met the legislative requirement to make 10% of their Baccalaureate programs achievable within three years. By 2014, these same institutions will be required to have 60% of their programs so configured.

The state's theory is that students will now be able to complete their degrees in less time, at less expense, and be able to enter the workforce faster than ever before. There is only one catch - the number of credit hours to earn these degrees will stay the same.

To take advantage of the three-year degree option, students need to earn, or qualify for, college credit while still in high school through Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, or Career Technical Transfer courses. Attending Early College High School or acquiring the knowledge to pass CLEP, or other course-based examination tests, are options also recommended by the state.

Few counties in Ohio are better positioned to make this happen than Stark, already a state leader in dual enrollment. A forthcoming study by the Stark Education Partnership (funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation) will show how Stark's 17 public school districts supported a growing portfolio of such opportunities last year that enabled students here to earn, or qualify for, the equivalent of 14,000 three hour college courses.