Start Strong

Your complete roadmap to starting your first semester at COTC.

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This information is for students who have applied to COTC, been admitted and completed orientation. Follow the steps below to prepare for success in your first semester.

  1. Confirm your transcripts have been received.
  2. Review your transfer credit.
  3. Complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement.
  4. Confirm your program and plan of study.
  5. Choose your courses.
  6. Register for classes online.
  7. Purchase the required textbooks.

Confirm your transcripts have been received.

Confirm that COTC has received all necessary transcripts from your high school and previous colleges.

Healthcare Alert: Admissions needs these to verify your prerequisites.

How to submit your official transcript:

  • By Mail: Sent by the institution (or their approved third-party vendor) to:
    Central Ohio Technical College
    ATTN: Student Records
    1179 University Dr.
    ​Newark, OH 43055
  • In person: Drop off your sealed transcript to The Gateway at our Newark campus or at your nearest extended campus

Review your transfer credit.

Not sure what courses have transferred from your previous schools to COTC? Watch the video below for more information.

Complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA).

All non-high school option students will be required to sign a Financial Responsibility Agreement before you can officially register for classes each semester. This agreement reviews your responsibility to pay your tuition and fees, what happens if classes are dropped, what happens if a balance is unpaid at the end of the term and additional information about receiving and earning financial aid. Below are the steps to access and complete this agreement.

  1. Log in to myCOTC. 
  2. On the Student Self-Service card, select My Agreements and click on View My Agreements. From here you will be redirected to a page listing any agreements you may have available.
  3. Select View. Read through the terms of the agreement, and then accept the terms. If you choose to decline, you will not be able to enroll for that term. You will be asked if you would like to print the agreement for your records.
  4. Once accepted, it will show a status of accepted. As soon as your registration window begins, you should immediately be able to proceed with registration for that semester.

Agreements must be signed before each semester of registration. The new semester’s agreement will be added a few weeks before registration opens for the semester. You can periodically check the My Agreements page to see any new agreements that have been signed.

If you have questions about the information in the agreement, please contact Student Financial Services at NWK-studentfinancialservices@mail.cotc.edu.

Confirm your program and plan of study.

What is a plan of study and where do you find the one for your program? Watch the video below to answer both questions.

View Plans of Study

Choose your courses.

You should connect with your Enrollment Navigator or use your plan of study to select your first semester courses. Here’s a video to help offer some guidance on selecting the correct courses for you.

Register for classes online.

Search for course sections, and officially register for classes.

  1. Log in to MyCOTC.
  2. On the Student Planning card, select My Schedule & Academic Timeline to open your schedule.
  3. Select the semester you want to register for using the left and right arrow buttons. Available courses will be listed on the left.
  4. Click Other Sections to see the days/times that the course is offered. Select the section that works best for you based on days/times or location. Click Add Section. Your selected course section now says Planned and appears on the calendar in yellow.
  5. You must register your planned courses. You can do this one course at a time, or you can wait until you’ve planned all your courses to ensure none overlap. Click Register in the course listing on the left, or click the Register Now button above the calendar. Your course will turn green in the calendar view of your schedule and will have a green text box that says, “Registered, but not started” under the course name.

If you need to add a course that is not already planned by an advisor, click on click on Advising. Type your message in the text box, and click Save Note.

Purchase the required textbooks.

Once you are registered for classes, you are automatically enrolled in the COTC Book Bundle. The COTC Book Bundle is an affordable textbook rental program providing you with all your required course books and digital access by the first day of class.

Thirty days before the start of classes, you will receive an email from Barnes and Noble, COTC’s bookstore partner, to verify your order and select pickup or delivery. You will receive an email when your books are ready for pickup or shipped.

Healthcare Students: Be sure to check for required clinical kits, uniforms, or specialized lab manuals that may be unique to your program.

Learn More About Book Bundle

Need more help?

COTC Admissions
phone: 740.366.9222
email: cotcadmissions@mail.cotc.edu
schedule appointment

Student Financial Services
phone: 740.366.9435
email: nwk-studentfinancialservices@mail.cotc.edu