The following may be attributed in whole or in part to Jack Hershey, President & CEO, Ohio Association of Community Colleges, in connection with reaction to Gov. John R. Kasich’s State of the State Address. The OACC represents the presidents and trustees of Ohio’s 23 community colleges. For more info about the OACC, please visit: www.OhioCommunityColleges.org.
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“Governor Kasich is right that Ohio’s higher education system has become a model for the nation, as we have developed a new performance-based funding model and worked collaboratively to allocate construction dollars to best serve the needs of the state. The governor laid out a compelling vision for the state and his proposals to strengthen pathways to college will play an important role for our future workforce needs. Ohio’s community college presidents have enjoyed being part of the historic change in higher education and are anxious to help Ohio become even stronger and reach its full potential.”
Background on Ohio’s 23 Community Colleges:
- Tuition at Ohio’s 23 community colleges, which serve more than 200,000 students, averages at a little more than $4,000 per year.
- That’s roughly about a third of what it costs to attend a state university on average.
- Two-year schools also offer flexible schedules and are prime locations to offer brush up courses.
- Community colleges also offer training for hundreds of technical training programs in high-demand and good-paying fields such as nursing, advanced manufacturing, welding and health care.
- More and more these day, new jobs require more education than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year degree, the bailiwick of Ohio’s community colleges.
- A number of initiatives are underway to ensure that Ohio’s community colleges – and universities – continue to be a good value for students and their families:
- Community colleges – and universities too – have adopted a new way of getting state funding that rewards institutions only when students complete courses or achieve degrees or credentials.
- Community colleges will be working with high schools to enhance dual enrollment programs that help high school students achieve college credit while gaining their high school diplomas, a development that can speed time to a college degree and save students and their families significantly on the cost of college.
- Community colleges are working with universities to create “pathways” that allow students to begin at a lower-cost community college and transfer seamlessly to a four-year university, again thereby helping save families money.
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Media Contact:
Jeff Ortega
Director of Public Affairs
Ohio Association of Community Colleges
(614) 221-6222