Blackwell: Subsidize students, not colleges

Jon Craig reports from Columbus:

Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said Tuesday that Ohio must find a way to make attending state universities more affordable.

Ohio tuition averaged $7,941 this year at public four-year universities, compared to $5,491 nationally.

Blackwell, a Republican candidate for governor, suggested state financial aid go directly to college students rather than distributed to colleges. He did not offer details, saying he is still formulating ideas.

Speaking at a luncheon of university trustees, Blackwell also said he would not act like the chairman of the Ohio Board of Regents if he is elected governor Nov. 7, but seek the input of university professionals. Blackwell is a former vice president and faculty member of his alma mater, Xavier University

“Right now our policy direction is geared toward subsidizing the institution, not subsidizing the consumer,’’ Blackwell said.

Keith Dailey, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, Blackwell’s Democratic opponent, said Strickland thinks financial aid should go directly to the student as well as the state’s universities.
Strickland previously proposed creating up state taxpayer-subsidized college savings accounts in a program called Ohio Knowledge Bank.

Blackwell said he does not believe in freezing tuition increases, preferring to let the free market drive that. But he is concerned about making sure lower-income families have equal access to higher education.

Under the Strickland Knowledge Bank program, the state would set aside an initial $500 dollars and an additional $100 per year for every Ohio child whose parents make a minimum $15 investment in a 529 Education Savings Account.

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