What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy
Stephen Dyer · December 10, 2018
A new report from the Innovation Ohio Education Fund titled, “The Heart of it All: How Ohio’s Lagging Investment in Post-Secondary Education Must Be Reversed For Its People to Prosper in Today’s Economy” has examined rarely analyzed state education data to reveal a stark picture of Ohio’s urgent need to invest in its post-secondary education and workforce development systems.
Ohio is at the vanguard of a number of national problems concerning higher education access and attainment. Fewer and fewer Ohioans are upwardly mobile, earning more than their parents. As more jobs require a post-secondary credential, Ohioans continue to lag behind the rest of the country in obtaining them. The number of Ohioans enrolled in post-secondary programs is shrinking primarily due to the increased financial burdens students and families must shoulder because of continued state divestment from the necessary post-secondary programs required for the 21st century knowledge economy. This is especially true for students from poorer communities and students of color. Key findings from the report include: