Ohio Republicans have proposed a budget amendment that could cause significant cuts to Ohio University’s budget.
That assessment comes via OU Budget Director Chad Mitchell who says the proposal, which would allow out-of-state students to receive in-state tuition if they register to vote in Ohio, will hit OU’s bottom-line.
Mitchell calculated that if all out-of-state students were to register to vote in Ohio, there could be a $12 million reduction in tuition revenue if the proposal passed, according to OU President Roderick McDavis.
“The financial impact of that loss would significantly impede our ability to build strong academic programs, maintain our campus infrastructure and provide a transformative learning experience for our students,” McDavis said in a statement.
Mitchell said the proposal’s impact would greatly increase OU’s budget sheets.
“If we were to lose 12 million (dollars), that would certainly mean the university would have to go through substantial reductions in staffing,” he said.
In Fall 2012, OU’s Athens campus had 3,824 students from out of the state, including doctoral and medical students, according to the OU Factbook.
Next year, non-resident undergraduate students will pay $9,672, which consists of a non-resident surcharge of $4,482.
Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs, said about 175 letters were sent to non-resident students during the 2012 election season, allowing them to vote in Ohio county and state elections.
If 175 students were to stop paying out-of-state tuition, OU would stand to lose $784,350.
“We certainly want students to have the opportunity to vote in the local and state elections,” he said.
Lombardi is currently unsure whether this amendment will change the amount of letters they release for students, or if the requirements for the permission to vote in Ohio will change.
Ann Fidler, chief of staff for the provost and chief financial officer, said the Inter-University Council of Ohio met recently to form a stance to convince the legislature against passing the bill.
“I think there’s a position forming statewide,” Fidler said.
State Representative Debbie Phillips (D-Athens) said she believes the proposal would be detrimental to both Ohio university budgets and student voting.
“We shouldn’t be throwing up road blocks,” she said. “This is when people are forming their habits.”
Phillips said she and other House Democrats advocated against it, and she will be discussing her stance against it with Ohio State Senator Lou Gentile (D-Steubenville) at the Washington County Democratic Dinner on Friday.
“I’ll be working with Senator Gentile to make sure they are aware of the seriousness of this issue and working to try to get it out of the bill,” she said.
dk123111@ohiou.edu
