College Admissions Challenges for Low-Income Students

Co-hosted with President Gordon Gee of The Ohio State University and the National Conference of State Legislatures, the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center convened a special College Completion Agenda: State Capitals Campaign event with local education leaders, policymakers, advocates and students. With over one hundred attendees, the event featured a distinguished panel that discussed the results from a new College Board study, Complexity in College Admission: The Barriers Between Aspiration and Enrollment for Lower-Income Students, that contains findings critical to understanding the special challenges lower-income students face in navigating the college application process and high school-to-college transition. Panelists and attendees also celebrated programs throughout the state that have helped students gain postsecondary access and success.

The State Capitals Campaign is a yearlong, multistate campaign that has crossed the nation – from Maryland and North Carolina to Indiana, Colorado, Texas and Massachusetts – to bring together national and state education leaders, policymakers and advocates to advance policies that foster better preparation, access and college attainment for all students. Each stop on the campaign has helped build dynamic conversations on developing comprehensive approaches to increasing the proportion of young Americans who earn a postsecondary degree to 55 percent by 2025.

Speakers Included:

• Gaston Caperton, President, College Board and Former Governor of West Virginia
• E. Gordon Gee, President, The Ohio State University
• Julie Bell, Education Group Director, National Conference of State Legislatures
• Mabel Freeman, Assistant Vice President of the Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience, The Ohio State University
• Randy Gardner, State Representative
• Gene Harris, Superintendent/CEO, Columbus City Schools
• David T. Harrison, President, Columbus State Community College
• Stan W. Heffner, Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction
• C. Todd Jones, President, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio
• Jim Petro, Chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents
• Bruce Walker, Vice Provost of Special Projects, The University of Texas at Austin and Chair, Task Force on Admissions in the 21st Century Implementation Committee, College Board 

Quotes:

“As we strive to reclaim our nation's place at the pinnacle of educational excellence, it is important to form partnerships among groups and institutions that share the same goal. The College Board has found no more valuable partners than the people of Ohio and The Ohio State University. Thanks to the efforts of people like Chancellor Petro, President Gee and thousands of dedicated Ohioans, this state has taken a giant leap towards achieving 55 by 2025 and building a strong foundation for future prosperity.” – Gaston Caperton

“In terms of college access and attainment, Ohio is determined to work together to get it right. And, Ohio State's Preferred Pathways Program and Economic Access Initiative are just two examples of the University fulfilling its mission as a land-grant institution—to better the lives of 11 million Ohioans by providing access to a world-class education.” – President E. Gordon Gee

“The University System of Ohio is leading the nation in developing and implementing innovative policies aimed at graduating the maximum number of students with the skills employers are seeking, as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.” – Jim Petro

Important Links

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center
National Conference of State Legislatures
College Completion Agenda 2011 Progress Report and State Policy Guide

Ohio Highlights

Ohio established the Family and Children First Cabinet Council to help families seeking government services by streamlining and coordinating resources. In 2006, HB 289 added responsibilities to the council, including selecting indicators in order to measure progress toward improving children’s well-being, developing an interagency system to monitor progress and developing a plan for state-level interagency efforts. In 2007, Ohio also established the Help Me Grow Advisory Council, an interagency coordinating council that advises the Ohio Department of Health about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C. (Part C provides early intervention services for children with developmental disabilities or delays.)

Ohio was the first state to study how its education system, including its standards, compared to international benchmarks. Its strategic plan includes benchmarking content standards as an action step and international assessment scores as a measuring metric.

Ohio has secured funding through the federal Teacher Incentive Fund to begin incentive pay for improved student achievement and increased supports for both teachers and principals.

Ohio’s Articulation and Transfer Policy is one of the most comprehensive statewide policies. Adopted by the Board of Regents in 1990 and continually improved by the legislature to ensure flexibility for students, the policy includes a universal course equivalency system and guaranteed admission to state universities by students who complete an associate degree at a technical or community college.

Ohio's legislature approved a new funding formula in 2009 that allocates money to colleges and universities based on course and degree completions, with extra funding being provided for at-risk students and students in science, engineering, mathematics and technology (STEM) fields. The funding formula will be implemented over time, and eventually all state colleges and universities will receive funds based on course completion, instead of course enrollment.

Ohio is consolidating "back-office" operations across campuses in an effort to save millions that can be directed to graduating more students and holding down tuition.