Early College at Ocean Township High School

The Early College at the High School program offers high school students the opportunity to earn credits during their regular high school day. These courses are set up through articulation agreements between OCC and individual school districts. Each course meets the standards and curricular requirements of a college class taught at OCC and are taught by high school teachers possessing academic credentials that meet college adjunct requirements.

Each participating district offers a different number of classes each year based on teacher eligibility and course content. Interested students can contact their school to find out if they are a partner, what classes are offered, and how to register.

Click the arrows next to each step to view more details.

Step 1: Apply

Your first step towards enrolling at OCC is going to be submitting a FREE application!

When asked “Why are you applying to OCC” select “I am a current high school student taking OCC classes.”

You can view (and download) a step-by-step guide to applying to OCC as an Early College student here:

Application PDF

Step 2: Register for Classes

If you are looking to register for Dual Enrollment classes (classes at your high school that also count toward college credit), follow the steps in this tutorial:

EC Dual Enrollment PDF

If you are looking to register for On-campus or Online classes at OCC as an Early College Student (not at your high school), follow the steps in this tutorial:

EC@OCC PDF

Step 3: Complete the Required Parental Consent Form (Required)

Once you have completed your self-registration on Ocean Connect, your parent/guardian is required to complete the Parental Consent Form. This form can be filled out online for your convenience but please note that it you will be required to log in to Ocean Connect. It should be filled out by both the parent and the student. This form is required for all high school students to secure their OCC courses. A PDF version of the form can be found here. Please see below for upcoming courses available at your school.

Step 4: FERPA Form for Parent Access (Optional)

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a United States federal law that governs access to educational information and records. This act protects a student who has reached 18 years of age or is attending a college at any age (including dual-enrolled high school students).

This form can be filled out online for your convenience but please note that it you will be required to log in to Ocean Connect: Authorization to Release FERPA Protected Information (Online Form).

A PDF version can be found here: Authorization to Release FERPA Protected Information (PDF). PDF forms can be filled out and emailed to earlycollege@ocean.edu with a legible copy of the student’s government issued photo ID or Student ID Card.

Additional details regarding FERPA and Student Proxy can be found on our FERPA Webpage.

Step 5: Tuition Payment

Payment or setting up a payment plan is due upon registration for courses. Follow the steps below to set up payment arrangements. Please make note of withdrawal and drop deadlines, and review this link for our refund policy.

To make a payment:

Set up payment arrangements
Sign into Ocean Connect
Click on the Plus (+) sign next to “Student Planning”
Click “View and Pay Bill”
Click on “Proceed to Payment
If this is your first time paying a tuition bill through OCC, follow the steps to create an account with NelNet.

2025 Spring (SPE) Courses at OTHS!

Course Listing	High School Course Name	HS Class Period	Instructor	Term	Prerequisites	Transcript Required?
DANC-120-OT7 Modern Dance I	Dance & Choreography I	7	Lynette Werthwein	SPE	None	No
DANC-120-OT6 Modern Dance I	Dance & Choreography I	6	Lynette Werthwein	SPE	None	No
DANC-121-OT4 Modern Dance II	Dance & Choreography II	4	Lynette Werthwein	SPE	DANC 120	Yes*
DANC-241-OT8 Dance Repertory I	Dance Performance Production	8	Lynette Werthwein	SPE	DANC 120 Or DANC 130	Yes*
MUSC-173-OT3 Concert Band I	Band	3	Kyle Titmas	SPE	None	No
MUSC-174-OT3 Concert Band II	Band	3	Kyle Titmas	SPE	MUSC-173	Yes*
MUSC-174-OT6 Concert Band II	Band	6	Kyle Titmas	SPE	MUSC-173	Yes*
MUSC-173-OT6 Concert Band I	Band	6	Kyle Titmas	SPE	None	No
MUSC-101-OT5 Music Fundamentals	Music Technology and Audio Engineering I	5	Kyle Titmas	SPE	None	No

*Some dual enrollment courses are marked as transcript required. This means you must meet the listed prerequisite in one of the following ways:
• You have already taken the prerequisite course at Ocean County College, or
• You completed an equivalent course at your high school (this is limited to MATH-196, MATH-265, PHYS-281, and some world language courses.)

If you are using a high school course to meet the prerequisite, send proof of completion as a high school transcript at least two weeks before the registration deadline for the term. You or your guidance counselor should email the transcript to registrar@ocean.edu. In the message, clearly note the course you want the prerequisite applied to.

What to include in your email:
• Student full name
• OCC student ID, if available
• Term you plan to enroll in
• Course code and title that needs the prerequisite waiver

Next Steps:
• The Registrar’s Office will review your transcript
• You will be notified when the waiver has been applied
• After the waiver is applied, you will be able to register for the course

Registration Questions?
View the Tutorial

Need to Know

Deadlines:

Important Spring 2026 (2026SPE) Dates & Deadlines:

Spring Foundation Grant Application Opens: 1/5/2026
Spring Foundation Grant Application Deadline: 3/4/2026
YI and SPE Grade Submission Deadline: Final day of school orJune 30^th, whichever is first.

Important Fall 2025 (2025FAE) Dates & Deadlines:

Registration Deadline: 10/3/2025
FAE Grades Due: 2/6/2026
FAE Withdrawal Deadline: 1/16/2026

Add/Drop Period

2026SPE Add/Drop deadline: March 11^th, 2026
(Courses dropped prior to the drop deadline will receive 100% refund/do not owe tuition for course.)

2026SPE Withdrawal deadline: June 16th, 2026
Course must be dropped on Ocean Connect or be requested in writing to earlycollege@ocean.edu by the drop deadline.

Refund Policy

Costs & Textbooks

$126 per credit (*plus any applicable course fees)
Textbooks will be provided by your district at no additional cost for OCC courses taught at your high school

Resources

Course Descriptions
Online Registration Tutorial Video
Apply for the Foundation Early College Grant to help pay for courses!