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Ohio Board of Regents to scale back or eliminate merit scholarship
Sam Kay
Issue date: 6/19/09 Section: Community
With Ohio's biennial budget deadline of June 30 looming, the future of the Ohio Academic Scholarship, (OAS) which has been offered by the Ohio Board of Regents since 1978, remains uncertain.
Miami University's Office of Student Financial Assistance sent out e-mail notices to approximately 180 returning OAS recipients June 9 notifying them their scholarships had not yet been funded by the state and therefore had not been included in their financial aid packages.
"(The university will) work with students individually to let them know about all of the options that are available to make sure that they can (afford to) return," said Brent Shock, senior associate director of student financial assistance for Miami.
Shock called the possibility of the state breaking its promise to OAS recipients "unprecedented."
"(This is) the first time where the state basically told students that they would have this scholarship for four years, but then said 'Hey, we don't know if the funding will come through,'" Shock said.
Miami sophomore Carlene Martin, an OAS recipient, said losing the OAS would make paying for Miami more difficult, but not impossible.
"I had been counting on it to get me through the next four years," Martin said, "but it's not going to affect whether I return to Miami."
Martin sympathized with the state's budget concerns.
"It's disappointing that it has to be that way, but I can understand it based on the current economic situation," Martin said, "Everyone has money issues now."
According to the Board of Regents, it costs the state $7.8 million annually to offer the $2,200 scholarship to approximately 1,000 students a year, for a total of nearly 4,000 students at any given time. The scholarship has long been given to top performers from Ohio high schools as a way of enticing them to attend in-state public or private universities.
Unlike several other scholarships offered by the Ohio Board of Regents, which are funded through federal sources or fees, the OAS is funded through the biennial Ohio budget.
Michael Chaney, chief communications officer for the Board of Regents, said nothing will be certain until the budget is passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by the governor. "Considering the budget situation we are in, there have to be priorities," Chaney said, "but we can't really say anything until next month."
According to Chaney, the Board of Regents has recommended priority be given to ensuring affordability through the ongoing tuition freeze and need-based aid. Chaney said those measures were aimed at making a difference for most students.
"While we would like to maintain or increase funding for merit scholarships, in a budget such as this, we need to prioritize in order to impact the most students," Chaney said. "That means remaining committed to keeping tuition as low as possible."
Chaney said it is also possible the program may be "scaled back" instead of being completely eliminated.
Miami University's Office of Student Financial Assistance sent out e-mail notices to approximately 180 returning OAS recipients June 9 notifying them their scholarships had not yet been funded by the state and therefore had not been included in their financial aid packages.
"(The university will) work with students individually to let them know about all of the options that are available to make sure that they can (afford to) return," said Brent Shock, senior associate director of student financial assistance for Miami.
Shock called the possibility of the state breaking its promise to OAS recipients "unprecedented."
"(This is) the first time where the state basically told students that they would have this scholarship for four years, but then said 'Hey, we don't know if the funding will come through,'" Shock said.
Miami sophomore Carlene Martin, an OAS recipient, said losing the OAS would make paying for Miami more difficult, but not impossible.
"I had been counting on it to get me through the next four years," Martin said, "but it's not going to affect whether I return to Miami."
Martin sympathized with the state's budget concerns.
"It's disappointing that it has to be that way, but I can understand it based on the current economic situation," Martin said, "Everyone has money issues now."
According to the Board of Regents, it costs the state $7.8 million annually to offer the $2,200 scholarship to approximately 1,000 students a year, for a total of nearly 4,000 students at any given time. The scholarship has long been given to top performers from Ohio high schools as a way of enticing them to attend in-state public or private universities.
Unlike several other scholarships offered by the Ohio Board of Regents, which are funded through federal sources or fees, the OAS is funded through the biennial Ohio budget.
Michael Chaney, chief communications officer for the Board of Regents, said nothing will be certain until the budget is passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by the governor. "Considering the budget situation we are in, there have to be priorities," Chaney said, "but we can't really say anything until next month."
According to Chaney, the Board of Regents has recommended priority be given to ensuring affordability through the ongoing tuition freeze and need-based aid. Chaney said those measures were aimed at making a difference for most students.
"While we would like to maintain or increase funding for merit scholarships, in a budget such as this, we need to prioritize in order to impact the most students," Chaney said. "That means remaining committed to keeping tuition as low as possible."
Chaney said it is also possible the program may be "scaled back" instead of being completely eliminated.
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W W
posted 6/21/09 @ 7:38 AM EST
The Ohio General Assembly has an obligation to fulfill the four year merit scholarship promises made. Only new scholarships should be considered for elimination. (Continued…)
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