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Tim Derickson: Ohio’s young talent needs our help to go to college

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12:42 PM Friday, September 18, 2009

The backbone of the 21st-century economy is based upon the young people’s ability to obtain a college education. However, in the last several decades, the cost of a college education has skyrocketed so much that, despite public assistance and family income, many students still struggle to find the necessary funds to attend college.

As a result, these rising costs obstruct the ability of many Americans to receive a post-secondary education.

Here in Ohio, the state operating budget has eliminated the tuition freeze at Ohio’s public four-year colleges and universities. In fact, the budget reduces state funding for higher education by $170 million, allowing colleges to increase tuition rates by 3.5 percent for the next two years.

For many of Ohio’s college students, the elimination of the tuition freeze could amount to a tuition increase of hundreds of dollars annually; and for a young person trying to pay for college, this increased financial burden could be damaging. As Ohio continues to lag behind in economic recovery and business growth, it is essential that lawmakers encourage, not hinder, the young talent of our state.

Due to the growing financial burden that college students face, the College Savings Plans Network has declared September “College Savings Month” to assist families as they plan for the cost of a college education. College Savings Month serves to encourage parents to save for their children’s education and to lessen the burden of paying off costly student loans. It is important to educate parents on the value of preparing for college payments in advance, to make college financing easier in the future.

I encourage college-bound individuals and their families to explore the opportunities that the Ohio Board of Regents has to offer. There are many scholarship and grant prospects to help students through the most important phase of their lives. For instance, to increase the high-tech marketability of our state, the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program supports the success of Ohio’s students who are majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The program aims to increase the numbers of graduates of these fields to prepare Ohio for the increasingly technological global market.

In addition to Choose Ohio First, there are various state grants and scholarships offered through the Board of Regents to aid students in their various pursuits, like the Ohio Academic Scholarship and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. For more information about the many financial opportunities available to Ohio’s young scholars, I encourage you to visit the Ohio Board of Regents Web site at www.regents.ohio.gov.

If you have any questions regarding college scholarships and grants, please feel free to contact my office and I will do my best to assist you. You may contact my office at (614) 644-5094 or e-mail me at District53@ohr.state.oh.us.

State Rep. Tim Derickson, R-Oxford, represents the Ohio House’s 53rd District.

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