New Albany and Gahanna high school students who planned to earn a career credential to graduate lost more than half their options.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce cut its list of credentials that count toward a diploma from 164 to 70 standalone options, the Ohio Capital Journal reported Monday, Sept. 7. The change applies to incoming freshmen at New Albany High School, Gahanna Lincoln High School and every other Ohio high school starting with the Class of 2030.
The state also cut a secondary "bundle" list from more than 700 credentials to 126, organized into 21 bundles across five fields: agriculture, business, construction, health care and manufacturing. Students can now graduate through this pathway only by earning a single approved standalone credential or completing an entire approved bundle.
"We know this is going to have a large impact on graduation rates," Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Steve Dackin said in announcing the new list.
What got cut and why
Two credential groups used by thousands of students each year are gone. In 2023, more than 9,000 students statewide earned RISE UP retail sales and customer service credentials. Those credentials qualified students to graduate, but employers posted just three job openings seeking them that year, according to the Ohio Capital Journal's reporting.
More than 4,000 students earned National Incident Management Systems credentials in 2023, sought for fewer than 300 jobs statewide.
The state legislature directed the overhaul. Each credential on the new list was scored using an 18-point framework that weighs employer demand, wage outcomes and alignment with Ohio's Top Jobs List, according to the state's credential page. A public data dashboard shows how every credential scored.
What stays the same for current students
The legacy point-based system remains in place for the graduating classes of 2027, 2028 and 2029. Gahanna Lincoln High School students who earned automotive credentials through the school's Automotive Maintenance Pre-Apprentice Program during the 2025-2026 school year did so under the old rules. Whether that specific credential qualifies under the new system is not confirmed.
What local families should watch
Neither district has publicly addressed how the changes affect its career-technical programs or how many students use the credential pathway. The state is accepting applications from schools, businesses and credential vendors to add or modify credentials for the 2027-2028 school year. That window opened Aug. 1 and runs through Oct. 31, according to the department's application page.
House Bill 96, Ohio's current operating budget, also shifted credential funding. The state committed $16 million per year to the Innovative Workforce Incentive Program (IWIP), which pays schools $725 per credential earned from the IWIP-approved list.
Families with students entering ninth grade in fall 2026 should ask their school counselor which credentials and bundles their school offers under the new system.
