Ohio has been working hard to make college more affordable, said Gov. Bob Taft, in his response to a Sept. 9 editorial published by the Columbus Dispatch.
But it seems neither the average student nor the 2006 National Report Card on Higher Education ' which gave Ohio an F for affordability rating ' have noticed much of a difference, as Ohio's under-funded public universities tend to raise tuition the maximum amount every year, and nearly all students are forced to take out loans to pay for it.
Taft was upset that his new programs ' the Ohio College Opportunity Grant and a lending program to reduce the cost of loans ' were not taken into account when the report made its ratings. Fine. That the grant program has moved its family income cap from $39,000 to $75,000 and will now reach an additional 11,000 students each year is a good thing. Yet it underscores the point that students even in middle-class families need more and more help to pay for school ' and it doesn't do much more for low-income students who must struggle the most to pay for their schooling.
Taft's response mentions nothing about increasing college funding, though it makes sure to point out that since he took office in 1999, need-based financial aid has increased by 50 percent. Perhaps if Taft had channeled that money into the schools, Ohio would not have tuition nearly 50 percent higher than the national average; more than 58 percent of recent high school graduates would go to college; and Ohio would not have fewer college graduates than the national average.
True, Taft has worked to give students low-interest loans. But the loan program merely validates the college cost problem. It ignores the fact that higher education has become so expensive ' especially in Ohio ' that loans are as much a part of college as ramen noodles.
Ohio students don't need more loans, however low the interest. They need their politicians to wise up and realize that funding for higher education should not be neglected in favor of hyping loans, financial aid and a sadly ineffective lame-duck governor.
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Government neglects higher education funding; TaftG
