Despite the current recession, Ohio State enrollment is holding steady for next quarter says Bill Shkurti, the university's vice president of business and finance. He says the new program is meant to help students with financial troubles before it affects their studies.
"There's a lot of confusion about how student financial aid works and how tuition is set at big universities," he said. "And I think a lot of students don't realize how much help is available to them. So we don't want to wait until they get into trouble and have to drop. We want them to know now what's available to them."
The university will contact first-year students who did not re-enroll for winter quarter to make sure they did not drop out for financial reasons. The initiative will also more than double the amount of money available for short-term emergency loans by dipping into the university's 13 point 5 million dollar rainy day fund. Students who face job loss can also change their financial aid status throughout the year for additional funding.
"So what this is saying to students, if that happens to you, come to our financial aid office and they'll work with you to get the aid you're eligible for," he said.
The economic downturn has more students at Columbus State looking to change their federal student aid application David Metz directs the Community College's Financial Aid office.
"We are seeing a few more students who are applying for a change of circumstance or a special circumstance where we can go in and adjust their income that they reported on their FAFSA due to a change in employment status," he said. "We're seeing more of those, but not a dramatic increase in number."
Aside from a newer scholarship programs already in place, the school is not enacting extra measures, he says.
State financial difficulties have raised concern about support for a state-mandated tuition freeze, which expires at the end of the current school year. Governor Ted Strickland last week ordered 640 million dollars in state budget cuts. So far, the state has shaved nearly 2 billion dollars off the current budget while protecting the tuition freeze for public colleges and universities. Again, OSU's Bill Shkurti.
"Nobody knows what the next biennium will bring except that the next biennium is likely to be very difficult financially for the state," he said. "And this is a high priority but there's not guarantee that they're going to be able to continue it."
Shkurti says Ohio State will continue to increase financial aid proportionately if tuition increases for the next school year. There will not be mid-year increases, he says.
Chelsea Meckley is a student in her first few quarters at Columbus State studying business. She works about 30-35 hours a week at Cup O' Joes at the Lennox Shopping Center just northwest of the OSU campus. She says business has been steady for her and the economy has not affected her income. While she would take advantage of extra school support, she says she expects to live on a lower income.
"All the students are always struggling," she said. "I don't really think the economy has really changed our daily lives all that much. You know? Or paying for school or whatever. It's always been hard. It probably always will be."