Buckeye Reporter

In a recent report titled "Transforming Higher Education in Ohio: Reforms Needed Today to Prepare for Tomorrow," The Buckeye Institute has proposed eight policy reforms aimed at improving Ohio's higher education system. These recommendations are designed to ensure that graduates are well-prepared for the demands of the modern job market.

Greg R. Lawson, co-author of the report and a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, stated, “The reforms outlined in The Buckeye Institute’s report will foster competition in higher education, reduce academic overhead, and encourage students to pursue studies that yield stable incomes after graduation.” He emphasized that "Ohio’s future depends on change."

The suggested reforms include allocating funding based on student outcomes such as low debt-to-income ratios and high job placement rates. They also propose increasing competition among all higher education institutions by using outcome-driven metrics for public funding distribution.

Other recommendations involve expanding the Ohio College Opportunity Grant Program to cover non-tuition costs for community colleges and short-term credentialing classes. Additionally, they suggest capping administrative spending at public universities and reevaluating tenure policies to align them with academic performance.

The report calls for reforming occupational licensing and degree requirements by eliminating unnecessary bachelor's degree requirements, particularly for government jobs. It also recommends expanding Pell Grants eligibility to include students pursuing short-term certificates or credentials from various educational entities.

Finally, The Buckeye Institute advises lowering the cost of higher education by requiring institutions to guarantee student loans and share in the risk associated with student loan investments.

Greg R. Lawson collaborated with Logan Kolas, director of technology policy at the American Consumer Institute and former economic policy analyst at The Buckeye Institute, in authoring this report.