A new bill in the Ohio legislature would require state public colleges and universities to send prospective students a packet of information. This would include costs of college, grants and scholarships. It would also include expected monthly loan payments and projected salary after college.

State Representative Adam Mathews is one of the two legislators who proposed the bill. He said it would give prospective students more information about what to expect once they graduate. “Putting that information in front of them will give them the best opportunity to match their skills and their dreams to what our schools can provide,” said Mathews. He notes that the state can only regulate public institutions in this way, but he hopes private institutions in Ohio follow the lead of the state and post similar information. He believes giving out this information will help Ohio’s colleges and universities to be more competitive. The information will highlight what a great value they have for their very reasonable cost.

Ohio’s schools are already competitive. The state attracts more undergraduate students than it sends to colleges out of state. Many colleges and universities currently provide similar information on their websites. This includes tuition, fees, graduation rates and more. But students need to search for the information. This bill would require the universities and colleges to send a packet directly to students.

Q22: What would the new bill in the Ohio legislature require public colleges and universities to do?
Q23: What can the state only do according to Adam Mathews?
Q24: What do we learn about Ohio’s schools from the passage?
Q25: What is the problem with schools providing information on their websites?