Noon Rotary talks higher education

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Higher education has taken the forefront when it comes to state budgeting with aims to make it more affordable and accessible for Ohioans.

John Carey, Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, visited Zanesville Tuesday to talk about Governor Kasich’s budget plans for higher education.

“We need to offer higher education at the most affordably cost possible to the student and provide the supports necessary for them to be successful,” said Carey.

Carey spoke about different approaches for lower cost pathways for students and options to give students more opportunities to pursue their education.

One way he mentioned is the College Credit Plus program, that offers college courses to students at no charge while they’re still in High School.

Finish For Your Future was another program mentioned that would provide additional financial aid for those adults already out of college that have outstanding debt or couldn’t afford to complete their degree.

Lastly, as textbook prices have increased nearly 3 times with inflation, Carey said the department plans to work on a solution regarding textbooks and affordability, possibly proposing that textbooks become a part of tuition.

Carey said currently 43% of Ohioans have some form of degree or certificate but the department aims to raise that to 65% by 2025.

“It will be aligning higher education with workforce and allowing more Ohioans the opportunity to be successful,” said Carey.