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Ohio gets a big higher ed grant, as Gov. Mike DeWine once again rejects consolidating universities

By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
Posted on: Thursday, September 10, 2026

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio will get $50 million federal dollars to help 20,000 low-income and first-generation students go to college – one of only two states to get the five-year grant. Gov. Mike DeWine announced that at the annual gathering of higher education trustees. And once again, he spoke out against a plan to dramatically change Ohio’s higher ed system.

“I’m encouraging college boards, whether the private liberal arts school or whether the public four-year university, to be creative and don’t take anything off the table,” DeWine said. “What students want today is different than what they wanted ten years ago, or 40 years ago or 50 years ago. The needs of society are different. So my main message today was schools have to be open. They have to be open to to change. And trustees have to have to embrace change.”

DeWine said he’d like to see stronger ties between institutions so students can easily move from community colleges to four-year universities. He said Ohio’s four-year universities rank second out of 50 states in the lowest rate of tuition increases over the last 20 years. The state’s two-year community colleges are the seventh best in lowest tuition increases over 20 years.

But DeWine pushed back harder than he has before on an idea that’s been mentioned by Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy: consolidating or eliminating any of the state’s 14 public universities.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. First of all, it’s not going to happen. Can’t happen. Too much opposition,” DeWine said. “The idea that we would get rid of any of our state universities, I think, would infringe upon our efforts to continue to broaden our access. So I think it would not, not be a great idea.”

DeWine told reporters after the speech he thinks it’s unlikely that any lawmakers would even introduce the idea.

At the event, DeWine also announced that Ohio was one of two states to receive a federal Talent Search Grant, which is designed to expand access to college to middle and high school students.

“We will receive $50 million to expand access to college and support apprenticeships for approximately 20,000 low income and first generation students in the state of Ohio,” DeWine said. “This funding will be channeled to organizations that will embed advisors within middle and high schools. They will connect students to supports including tutoring, career exploration, college application assistance, and apprenticeships.”

DeWine said the five-year federal Talent Search Grant will help expand access to college to 20,000 low income and first-generation students.