The Akron Legal News

Regents chancellor backs tuition guarantee plan

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: April 11, 2014

A tuition guarantee plan, reciprocity agreements with other states and the elimination of enrollment caps for five public universities are among the higher education reforms proposed in House Bill 484.

The measure, which is included in the package of mid-biennium review bills, is sponsored by Reps. Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, and Tim Brown, R-Bowling Green.

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor John Carey has provided testimony for the bill before the House Finance committee and the House Higher Education subcommittee.

“To further advance his goal of reforming higher education in Ohio, Gov. Kasich is moving forward in the MBR to strengthen pathways to college and enhance college learning opportunities in ways that will benefit all Ohioans,” he said.

“These initiatives are aimed at improving college readiness, lowering the out-of-pocket costs required to obtain a college degree, and improving graduation rates at our state-supported campuses. At the same time, we will ensure that Ohioans are well prepared to take advantage of what job creators are doing across the state.”

If enacted, the bill would authorize a community college, state community college or technical college to establish a tuition guarantee program.

“In his state budget last year, Gov. Kasich and the legislature successfully sought to limit in-state undergraduate tuition and general fee increases to no more than 2 percent at our four-year universities and $100 at our two-year community colleges,” Carey said.

“We were pleased to see several schools make an effort to hold the line on tuition even further. While some of our four-year schools stayed below the 2-percent increase, several others took the opportunity to freeze tuition for their students or look at ways to create four-year tuition freeze plans.”

To build on that progress, Carey said the state’s community colleges would be given the option of giving their students a guaranteed tuition rate that would apply throughout their time on campus.

“Under this provision, I will have the ability to establish guidelines and approve requests for tuition-guarantee programs for community colleges,” he said. “This cost predictability will give families the ability to plan their finances more effectively, while encouraging students to stay in school until their degree or certificate is completed.”

The bill also would permit the chancellor to enter into a reciprocity agreement with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact to allow a participating institution of higher education in another state to enroll Ohio residents, and a participating institution in Ohio to enroll residents of a participating state, in distance education programs without prior approval from the chancellor or appropriate agency.

“The use of technology on our college campuses is changing rapidly, and we have been looking at ways to provide students with greater access to distance education programs,” Carey said.

“A wealth of learning opportunities exists for adult learners and teachers, including various modes of “distance learning” that take place outside the traditional classroom. To take full advantage of this emerging technology, we would like to have the ability to enter into an interstate-reciprocity agreement with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact for the purpose of allowing post-secondary institutions to deliver distance education in and outside of Ohio.”

With regard to current enrollment caps, HB 484 would repeal the 17,000-student limit for the central campus of Bowling Green State University, the 22,000-student limit for the central campus of Kent State University and the 17,000-student limit for the central campus of Miami University.

In addition the enrollment caps for the central campuses of Ohio University — 22,000 students — and The Ohio State University — 42,000 students — would be repealed.

“We have determined this to be an outdated statute that seems counterintuitive to trying to get more people into post-secondary education,” Carey said.

In addition to its other aims, HB 484 would require the treasurer of a state community college to be insured, in lieu of being bonded as required under current law, for “faithful performance of official duties and proper accounting for all moneys coming into the treasurer’s care.”

It also seeks to adjust the formula for funding community colleges, state community colleges and technical colleges, beginning with fiscal year 2015, that allocates amounts to colleges in proportion to their share of certain prescribed student success factors and prescribes a formula for funding Ohio Technical Centers based on certain milestones of student achievement.

If signed into law, the bill would charge the chancellor with designating a post-secondary globalization liaison to work with state institutions of higher education, state agencies and representatives of the business community to improve Ohio’s globalization efforts.

“With all of our efforts that encourage our students to stay in school, we are also interested in having them stay in Ohio after graduation. That goes for our international students, as well as our in-state and out-of-state students,” Carey said.

“The number of international students attending Ohio’s colleges and universities is at an all-time high at more than 28,000, and the state’s future workforce needs, especially in engineering and scientific fields, would benefit greatly from their contributions to a well-trained workforce.”

HB 484 also calls for a complete inventory of education programs that focus on workforce development and training.

“Ohio’s success depends on a skilled workforce, and that starts with a quality education,” Carey said.

“Education is important not only to the economy but also to the quality of life for all Ohioans. While Ohio has some of the best institutions of higher education in the world, only about 36 percent of adults in Ohio have a post-secondary credential, a figure that does not meet the needs of our economy.”

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