TOTALLY FREE Bachelor's Degree

- for OCSEA members and extended family 

OCSEA members asked for it, and they got it: a TOTALLY FREE bachelor's degree program for dues-paying members and all their family members. The OCSEA Free College Program includes four bachelor-level programs. There is absolutely no cost associated with this union benefit!

All dues-paying OCSEA members as well as ALL family members (including extended family) of dues-paying member are eligible for the OCSEA Free College benefit. 

Fill out interest form – Confirm Eligibility

Learn how to apply

Course Offerings

For more information, call OCSEA toll-free at 1-800-969-4702 or email freecollege@ocsea.org.

Upcoming Sessions:
October 11, 2021
January 17, 2022

More about the OCSEA Bachelor’s Degree Program

OCSEA has partnered with Central State University near Dayton to offer all OCSEA members and their extended family members the benefit of a TOTALLY FREE bachelor’s degree program. To take part in the OCSEA FREE College program, you MUST be a dues-paying OCSEA union member or related to an OCSEA member in one of the following ways: child (or step-child), grandchild (or step-grandchild), spouse, financial dependent, niece, nephew, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle or in-law. Each student will be eligible for an OCSEA Student Success Grant. The cost for tuition, fees and books will be ZERO. Members who are also eligible for the union’s educational benefit—Union Education Trust (UET)—must use those funds for enrollment in the program. Family members and other non-UET eligible OCSEA members will enroll through the FAFSA process.


Classes online, on your own time

The totally free bachelor’s program is completely online, allowing busy members and their family members to get their degree with their schedule in mind. Central State University is located in Dayton, Ohio and is fully accredited by the Ohio Department of Education. Credits are transferable. An associate degree or 60 credit hours is required to enroll. Students can attend as part-time or full-time and all coursework is online.

Course offerings

The following bachelor level programs are currently offered: Business Management, Teacher Education, Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. Additional programs will be announced soon.

Have questions?


Click here for FAQ

COURSE OFFERINGS


Business Administration

The Business Administration Program is not only designed to help students develop a firm knowledge base in business, but also to enhance the student's sense of self-discipline, dedication to purpose, and confidence necessary for success in the world of commerce.

Teacher Education

CSU’s degree in education prepares educators who are effective in serving as active facilitators of learning for the diverse student population. The College of Education is committed to the preparation of educators that are able to experience and appreciate students, as well as the various ways of learning. CSU’s online Teacher Education program prepares students For Ohio Licensure.

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice program provides an overview of the criminal justice system, the causes of crime and issues relating to social control. The program is structured around a core of criminal justice courses that include topics in law enforcement, the judicial process and correctional system. The course of study consists of a general overview of the components of the criminal justice system with the overall goal of exposing students to a wide variety of academic disciplines: business, political science, psychology, social work and sociology.

Interdisciplinary Studies-Humanities

This flexible degree allows students to build on their interest in more than one discipline, while providing workable options to meet your education and professional goals. The interdisciplinary degree in Humanities, builds strengths in multiple fields in areas such as English, history, and communications, to enhance critical thinking skills (widely seen as the most valuable skill sought by employers). Students with transferable credits can build on those passions to create a customized degree path that works.

Learn how to apply below

GETTING STARTED

Confirm Union Membership & Eligibility

To apply for the OCSEA Free Bachelor's Program, you must be a dues-paying OCSEA union member or related to an OCSEA dues-paying member. Before applying to Central State, click the "Confirm Eligibility" button below to access the Free Bachelor’s inquiry form and to confirm that you are an OCSEA member or an eligible relative.

Confirm Eligibility

NEXT STEPS

These steps can be completed simultaneously.
Apply for Union Education Trust

If you are an active OCSEA member and a state employee interested in the Free Bachelor's Program for yourself, call 800-969-4702, ext. 2645 or email blowe@ocsea.org to confirm eligibility for your union-negotiated Union Education Trust financial aid.

UET Customer Service will guide you through the UET voucher application process.* Any cost not covered by UET vouchers or federal aid (see FASFA® section) will be covered by the Union Free College Scholarship.

* MEMBERS ONLY: Once eligibility has been confirmed and you have been accepted to CSU and have scheduled classes, you must apply for your UET vouchers.

Learn about UET
Complete the FAFSA® Application

Members and family members interested in the Free Bachelor's Program must submit the federal FAFSA® form to apply for additional financial aid.

Any federal grants you receive will be applied to your tuition and fees and textbooks first; the OCSEA Student Success Grant will cover the rest. Make sure, if you are an OCSEA member eligible for UET, to also contact UET to start the voucher process.

Fill out the FASFA®
Apply to Central State University

Apply for admission to Central State University with your official transcript from your transferring institution by going HERE. Select YES to the question regarding "Career Plus." With the Career Plus College program, union members and their families can continue their education journey and complete their Bachelor's Degree online at Central State University with no out-of-pocket cost. You can also call CSU directly with any questions at 888-897-9671.

Apply to CSU

Fill out interest form

To take part in the OCSEA FREE College program, you MUST be a dues-paying OCSEA union member or related to an OCSEA member in one of the following ways: child (or step-child), grandchild (or step-grandchild), spouse, financial dependent, niece, nephew, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle or in-law. To be eligible, you must have earned an associate degree or have at least 60 hours of college credit.

Your Contact Information

Membership status

Are you an OCSEA member?*
This will help OCSEA staff find your records in our membership database.

OCSEA Member's Information

If you are an OCSEA member, this section is not required.
This will help OCSEA staff find the member's records in our membership database.
Your Relationship to Member *