In the midst of Ohio University’s Parents Weekend, a group of selected moms and dads gathered to voice their concerns to one of the university’s top administrators.
The Ohio Parents Advisory Council, a committee composed of OU students’ parents, met with Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit in Baker University Center.
Parents were in favor of one of the meeting’s hot topics — guaranteed tuition — as many felt it would eliminate some unknowns associated with college costs.
At Saturday’s meeting, 11 families were represented by 13 people with parents of students from each graduating class, said Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs.
The council, started in the 2008-09 school year by Lombardi, former dean of students, meets twice a year to provide input to OU administrators.
The group first heard about guaranteed tuition in the spring from Vice President for Finance and Administration Stephen Golding, said Jenny Hall-Jones, OU’s current dean of students.
“Every single parent around the table said this is awesome, this is exactly what we want because they’re looking at it from a predictability perspective,” Hall-Jones said.
The sentiment from the spring meeting transferred to the group’s discussion on Saturday.
“It’s a really great idea given the volatility of all the expenses that we have,” said Donna Perla, a committee member from Washington D.C.
Perla asked if the model would affect out-of-state students such as her daughter and was told the model currently isn’t available for those students.
Perla also asked if guaranteed tuition was risky for the university. Benoit responded by saying yes, the model shifts risks to the university but was something OU was willing to try to help students and their families.
John Ikirt, a member of the council since the 2009-10 school year and 1980 alumnus of OU, is putting his second daughter through college and appreciates the definite price guaranteed tuition offers.
“I think it’s a neat concept if they can get if off the ground because I think it will help contain costs for parents and families,” Ikirt said.
@WillDrabold
