Ladies and Gentlemen:

On Saturday, June 30, Governor Strickland signed Ohio's 2007-2009 budget bill into law. With that action, the Student Choice Program will remain a residency-based program, open to any Ohio student interested in attending an Ohio independent college. Although the criteria are the same as in the past, the amount granted will be lower. With the current appropriated funding level, each student recipient will receive approximately $650 instead of $900 per year.
                           
Without the assistance from friends and families of independent colleges, this victory would not have been possible. Gov. Strickland and his administration fought an active campaign to cut the Student Choice Grant program. Legislators and the governor's staff were both surprised at the intensity of the resistance to their efforts. Many have noted that without the strong grassroots push, the Student Choice Grant would have joined the numerous programs that were cut by Gov. Strickland and not refunded– even in reduced form–by the legislature.

The budget also includes a new $50 million program to further STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies in Ohio called the Choose Ohio First program. With the assistance of the Strickland administration, the Ohio Senate developed a program that would have largely excluded most independent college students, by excluding their campuses from applying directly for pools of scholarship funds.

Ultimately, the House and Senate compromised on language that will permit public institutions to apply alone for the scholarship pools or to apply with partners such as independent colleges and private corporations. Independent colleges will be allowed to seek funds only if they partner with public colleges and universities.

Choose Ohio First scholarship amounts will be anywhere from $1,500 to $4,700 and will be available starting in school year 2008-2009. While the program clearly disadvantages independent colleges and their students, the fact that increased participation was secured in the final agreement testifies to the last minute efforts of Save Student Choice champions.

We are certain that this policy battle did not end with the signing of this budget. In the course of the fight over the Student Choice Grant, Strickland administration officials made thinly veiled references to eliminating the independent college supplement for Ohio's second student-based aid program, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. They have also reaffirmed on multiple occasions this administration's current intention to seek cuts to the Student Choice Grant in the future.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio will continue its efforts to protect state funds for independent college students, and we hope that you will join us again in that effort. This fall and next spring we will again host Student Lobby Day at the Ohio Statehouse to push legislators to target any increased tax revenues in 2008 into the Student Choice Grant program, restoring the grant to $900 for next year.

When our students, faculty, and campus leaders work together, we can make a real impact on state policy.

Again, thank you for all of your efforts during the Save Student Choice campaign.

Cordially,

C. Todd Jones
President
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio