The largest class in Ohio University history may be a result of a new way of distributing scholarship money, some universities official said.
An estimated additional $2.1 million in scholarship funds has been made available to the freshman class — about 4,379 students — than last year as a result of the OHIO Signature Awards program and an increase in donations to the university.
The OHIO Signature Awards program is a more “sophisticated and student specific” approach to the Gateway Scholars program, which distributed aid based solely on ACT scores and high school GPA, said Craig Cornell, vice provost for Enrollment Management.
“There was a desire to look at students more microscopically,” Cornell said. “To put all students into two categories was concerning for us.”
The Gateway program awarded students varying amounts up to full in-state tuition for ACT and SAT test scores. It ended last year.
So now, Cornell said, aid distribution also considers things such as need and programs of interest.
“What we really wanted to do is concentrate on areas where we knew we had the greatest strengths,” Cornell said, adding that they are focusing on recruiting high achieving students with financial need.
OU Budget Director Chad Mitchell said the new system of distributing funds looks at need and merit, while taking “an analytical approach to it.”
“It was an effort to look at how much money we give to students ... and figuring out ‘Are we giving the right scholarships? Are we giving them the right amount of dollars are we giving them to the right students?’” Mitchell said.
Executive Director of Development, Advancement Communication and Marketing Jennifer Bowie said the Ohio Foundation has distributed more than $4.5 million through the 2013-14 academic year to assist with student financial aid funding. The Appalachian, Urban and Cutler Scholars programs all received some of those dollars, she said.
The university has received $3.4 million in donations from more than 3,300 donors, 34 percent more than last year.
Additionally, current students demonstrating the most need who received money from the Gateway program are having the $156 tuition increase covered by the program, Cornell said.
“We’ve had a lot (fewer) calls panicking about finances than we have in the past,” Cornell said, adding that the Signature Awards program likely has contributed to that. “My real goal with the program when I developed it … is to get to the point where the finances are no longer the conversation,” Cornell said.
@ohitchcock
oh271711@ohio.edu
