Columbus State Community College has opted to not move forward with a $95 million levy that would have funded free tuition for Franklin County graduates after significant pushback from local leaders.
In a July 29 statement, the college said that "after careful consideration," it will not be moving forward with a levy on the November ballot. Columbus State President David Harrison said that the college has "decided that this isn’t the moment to move forward with this proposal."
"We appreciate that our community has many priorities, and we will continue to do our part to provide affordable, career-focused education that improves the lives of Central Ohioans," Harrison said.
The Dispatch reported on July 16 that Columbus State was proposing a 10-year,
1.9-mill levy that would generate $95 million annually. The money would have been used largely to offer free tuition to Franklin County high school graduates.
The levy would have cost homeowners an estimated $67 per $100,000 of home value, based on unofficial estimates. Columbus State is the largest community college in Ohio with more than 41,000 students a year, about two-thirds of whom are Franklin County residents. Columbus State also has a campus in Delaware County.
The decision comes after the Columbus State board of trustees declined to vote on July 23 to place it on the ballot, after declining to vote on the agenda item during the meeting. Harrison said during the meeting that the decision to note vote during that meeting would give them time to consider options.
Harrison outlined several other options to modify the plan, including reducing the request from 1.9 mills while still maintaining the free tuition proposal and modifying the program to focus on low-income students while discounting tuition for others.
The board also could consider postponing the issue past 2026, Harrison said, which could jeopardize the Columbus Promise, a last-dollar program for Columbus City Schools graduates to help them attain an associates degree.
Columbus Promise, which is funded through the city and private philanthropy, has been extended through the high school graduating class of 2027 but does not have continued funding for future classes. City leaders launched a campaign last February to fund the next phase of the program although. Harrison said July 29 that this decision does not impact current Columbus Promise students.
Harrison floated the possibility of a July 29 special meeting to reconsider placing it on the ballot.
In the July 29 statement, Harrison thanked central Ohio organizations "who are helping people lead better lives."
“While this initiative is not moving forward right now, we remain laser-focused on meeting our students where they are and helping them achieve their goals, debt-free," Harrison said.
Proposal faced pushback from county stakeholders
On July 22, former Columbus mayor Michael Coleman told The Dispatchthat Columbus State should "put the brakes" on the proposed levy and get more community feedback before proceeding.
"I think its a big mistake to move forward without having done so," Coleman said to The Dispatch on July 22. "It should be driven by the people of our county, if that's what people want to do ... so be it. There's been no discussion or dialogue beyond a small group of people."
Other community leaders, including Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce and said Columbus State didn't "have a proposal on the table, they have a concept on the table," and that until he sees ballot language, he's "going to be skeptical of a levy or tax on anyone."
In a guest column in The Dispatch, Boyce also questioned the tax burden it would place on county residents.
Other local leaders, including Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin expressed support for the proposal, but Hardin said the day of the vote that he agreed with Coleman that "more community conversation is never a bad thing."
What the proposal included
Columbus State's proposed tuition-free program would have covered six semesters and was designed to be widely available, with few requirements other than enrolling at Columbus State within a year of high school graduation and filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA. Like the Columbus Promise, Columbus State's new program would be available to students regardless of high school or family income.
In addition to free tuition for Franklin County high school graduates, it would also have funded tuition discounts for all other Franklin County residents wanting to attend Columbus State. A full-time student taking 30 credit hours could save $1,000 per academic year. Students with more or fewer credit hours would save at proportional rates.
Columbus State does not currently receive operating support from a local levy. The Ohio General Assembly paved the way for the state's community colleges to seek funding for permanent improvements from voters at the ballot in 2019, and it changed state law last year to enable community colleges to seek a ballot issue for operating funding.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus State spikes free tuition levy proposal after pushback
