Ohio May Shift to New College Funding Model

Ohio higher education officials are looking to shift the state's higher education funding model to one based partially on performance, a change that could occur as early as next fall, the Post reports. Currently, schools receive aid based solely on enrollment.

Under the proposed model, the state would allot funding based on a 30 percent to 70 percent split between performance and enrollment. "Performance" could be based on the number of students who pass core curriculum courses, graduation rates, and the university's efforts at helping at-risk students. No specific benchmarks have yet been determined.

The Ohio University president supports the plan, saying, "We have to be accountable not only for recruiting students but for retaining them and for graduating them." He added that OU would most likely do well under such a system but said the school does not anticipate an increase in funding because state funding for higher education as a whole is likely to be significantly cut in the near future.