In Ohio, the pandemic has forced students to pause their pursuit of a college degree or abandon their aspirations for higher education all together. The health crisis has accelerated a downward trend in enrollment in public higher education, at least for now, and thrown into sharp relief the barriers that prevent Black and brown students, and…

Education and training beyond high school matters, preparing students to contribute to their communities, allowing them to lead healthier and more productive lives, and strengthening the economy. In today's economy, higher education is increasingly important for those seeking jobs that pay a living wage. Unfortunately, many Ohio policies work…

One of the main ways that states provide opportunities to people and build a strong economy is by making education affordable to everyone. Ohio provides need-based aid to students pursuing postsecondary education through a program called the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). This is essential to helping students from low-income backgrounds…

People who complete college or community college earn higher incomes, often much higher, than those with only a high school degree on average. They also have much lower rates of unemployment and are less likely to be in poverty. But Ohio policymakers aren't providing the funding higher education needs to reach that ambitious goal -- instead,…

Ohio has a world-class network of public colleges. However, the state lags behind the nation in college attainment. Recognizing that the state must improve these numbers, Ohio policymakers have committed to a goal of 65 percent college attainment by 2025. Despite the state's attainment goal, Ohio does not have a college promise program. The Ohio…

Ohio has a world-class network of public colleges. However, the state lags behind the nation in college attainment. Recognizing that the state must improve these numbers, Ohio policymakers have committed to a goal of 65 percent college attainment by 2025. Despite the state's attainment goal, Ohio does not have a college promise program. The Ohio…

A skilled workforce is one essential component of a prosperous and inclusive state economy. Attaining a degree or other post-secondary credential has obvious benefits to graduates and their families. Higher education insulates against unemployment and can be a pathway out of the low-wage economy. Funding for higher education is correlated with…

Prosperous regions are educated regions. Ohio's relatively low share of residents with college degrees has concerned one governor after the other and proposals for managing Ohio's university system have differed substantially. The Kasich administration's higher education proposal, the "Enterprise University Plan for Ohio," is based on…

Prosperous regions are educated regions. Ohio's relatively low share of residents with college degrees has concerned one governor after the other and proposals for managing Ohio's university system have differed substantially. The Kasich administration's higher education proposal, the "Enterprise University Plan for Ohio," is based on…