Ohio is near the bottom in college affordability and state funding to help students pay for a college degree, according to a University of Pennsylvania study.
The study ranks Ohio 45th in the nation when it comes to affordability and financial support. And it says the state has the fourth-most expensive public colleges.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown calls it embarrassing. He cites the study’s finding that the state contributes $97 per student in need-based financial aid while the national average is more than $470. Brown his sponsoring a bill he says would give students more financial help through grants.
“What the federal government needs to do is invest more in Perkins, invest more in Pell. It’s clearly dereliction of duty both from the state and federal level. It’s a national problem; it’s more acute in Ohio because we have a state government and have for years that’s not paid attention to schools from Lorain Community College to Wright State University.”
The bill would also allow students struggling with college- loan debts to refinance what they owe at a lower interest rate.
