Click Here to Support Higher Education Funding in the State Budget!

As we reported previously, Gov. DeWine’s proposed funding for higher education in the state budget represents major strides in increased financial support for students and institutions.

However, the governor’s introduction of his executive budget is just the first step in the state budget process. Legislators are not necessarily committed to maintaining the higher education funding that the governor has proposed. In fact, some legislators have told us that they believe higher education would be getting “too much” funding in this budget bill.

We know that is not true. After decades of cuts followed by “increases” that fail to even keep pace with inflation, tuition and student debt are higher, enrollment is down, faculty and staff positions have been drastically reduced, and academic programs have been eliminated. Ohio’s colleges and universities desperately need real state support to deliver quality education.

We have put together this Action Network page through which you can easily send messages to your State Representative, as well as the members of the House Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education, to ask them to support the governor’s proposed funding. There is a form letter provided, but you can personalize it with specific information about what this funding would mean for your students and your institution.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts!

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Here are funding highlights in the current version of the budget bill:

-A 9.5% increase to overall Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) funding in FY 2024 and an additional 9% increase in FY 2025

-3% increases to State Share of Instruction (SSI–the main funding stream from the state to public colleges and universities) in each fiscal year

-A significant increase over the current Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG–the major need-based grant for students attending four-year public and private colleges) awards to $6,000 per student

-Creation of the Ohio College Access Grant (OCAG–a new need-based grant for students attending community colleges and university regional campuses), which would have approximately $41 million in available awards across both fiscal years

-A 6.7% increase to OhioLink in FY 2024 and an additional 5% in FY 2025

-9.5% and 5% Increases in the funding of the Ohio Supercomputer Center over the next two fiscal years

-Creation of the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, which would provide $5,000 renewable scholarships for four years to students who graduate in the top 5% of their high school classes

You can find more complete details about the higher education components of the governor’s proposed budget here, starting on page 333.

On Tuesday, January 31, Gov. DeWine gave his “State of the State” address, which outlined his budget priorities for Fiscal Years 2024-2025.

This is the first executive state budget in a dozen years that demonstrates a greater commitment to higher education and increased financial help for students.

Here are some of the highlights:

-A 9.5% increase to overall Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) funding in FY 2024 and an additional 9% increase in FY 2025

-3% increases to State Share of Instruction (SSI–the main funding stream from the state to public colleges and universities) in each fiscal year

-More than doubling current Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG–the major need-based grant for students attending four-year colleges) awards to $6,000 per student

-Creating the Ohio College Access Grant (OCAG–a new need-based grant for students attending community colleges and university regional campuses), which would have approximately $41 million in available awards across both fiscal years

-A 6.7% increase to OhioLink in FY 2024 and an additional 5% in FY 2025

–Ohio Supercomputer Center would get a 9.5% bump in the first fiscal year with an additional 5% in the next fiscal year

-Creating the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, which would provide $5,000 renewable scholarships for four years to students who graduate in the top 5% of their high school classes

You can find more complete details about the higher education components of the governor’s proposed budget here, starting on page 333.

The governor’s proposal is just the beginning of the state budget process. We can expect testimony from department and agency directors starting as early as next week in the Ohio House of Representatives. Closer to mid-February, we should see the formal introduction of the budget bill in the House, which also will contain policy language, such as, potentially, restraints on tuition and fee increases.

We will keep our members informed as the process unfolds. OCAAUP will testify at the appropriate committee hearings. While this is generally a positive proposed budget for higher education, SSI increases still fail to keep pace with inflation, and we need to ensure that our institutions have the resources necessary to attract and retain quality faculty to give students the best education possible.

The OCAAUP annual meeting took place during the last weekend of October. Attendees heard reports from state and national AAUP leadership, including government relations and pension updates, and approved the 2023 budget.

During our luncheon, journalist and author Will Bunch joined us virtually to discuss his new book, After the Ivory Tower Falls: How College Broke the American Dream and Blew Up Our Politics–And How to Fix It. Bunch gave insightful commentary about rising college costs, the political divide between those with and without bachelor’s degrees, among other topics.

In addition, Cynthia Peeples, one of the founders of the “Honesty for Ohio Education” coalition, delivered a presentation called, “Grassroots Organizing and the Fight for Honest Education in Ohio.” She discussed the various “educational gag order” bills in Ohio and how she has helped organize around these issues.

We appreciate all of our members who participated in person and virtually to hear about the important work of the Ohio Conference!