March 24, 2026 · Workforce and Higher Education Committee · 11,009 words · 16 speakers · 115 segments
Representative Davila, Representative John, Representative Manning, Representative Miller, Representative Pickle-Antonio, Representative Richardson, Representative Santucci, Representative Timms, Representative Williams, Representative Workman. We have a quorum and will proceed as a full committee. There's the March 17th minutes on your iPads for your review. Are there any objections to the minutes? Hearing none, the minutes are hereby approved. I now bring forward HB 748 for its first hearing. You recognize Representative DeVilla for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to amend House Bill 748 with Amendment 2094.
The motion is in order. Please explain the amendment.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The proposed amendment corrects an error referring to the Armed Forces Reserve Component Scholarship Reserve Fund as the Ohio Military Reserve Scholarship Reserve Fund.
The motion is in order. Thank you. We are asking if there's any objections to the amendment. Without objection, the amendment is accepted. I'll now call Representative Willis and Davila to provide sponsor testimony whenever you're ready, gentlemen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Colonel Willis is not here today, so you get Commander Davila only as you're here.
Welcome, Commander.
Thank you very much. Well, thank you, Chairman Young, Vice Chairman Ritter, and Ranking Member Abdullahi and members of the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee. Thank you for this opportunity to provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 748. This legislation establishes the Armed Forces Reserve Component Scholarship Program to provide tuition assistance to eligible members of Ohio's reserve components who are pursuing higher education or workforce training. Under this program, eligible applicants include reservists who are enrolled in degree-granting programs, nursing programs, credentialing or licensing programs, or other training aligned with in-demand occupations identified by the state. The program is designed to support both traditional academic pathways and workforce-focused education. Scholarships are administered through the Chancellor of Higher Education and are awarded on a rolling basis to qualified applicants. The benefit structure is straightforward. For students attending public institutions, the program covers full tuition. For those attending private or career institutions, the award is aligned with statewide average tuition benchmarks ensuring consistency and predictability in the program's costs. The legislation also includes important guardrails. Participants must remain in good standing in their reserve service, and there are provisions addressing repayment obligations if service commitments are not fulfilled. At the same time, the bill accounts for real-world military demands by protecting participants who are called to active duty, ensuring they are not penalized academically or financially. In addition, the program is coordinated with existing federal education benefits to ensure that available resources are used efficiently before state funds are applied. Taken together these provisions create a program that is both accessible to those who serve and structured to operate with clear expectations and accountability House Bill 748 is also designed with a strong emphasis on fiscal discipline and oversight The program operates within a defined appropriation and includes multiple layers of financial monitoring The Chancellor of Higher Education and the Director of Budget and Management are required to regularly project and track program costs throughout the biennium to ensure sustainability. A central feature of this bill is the role of the controlling board in overseeing the movement of funds associated with this program. This ensures appropriate legislative visibility and accountability in how dollars are managed, while maintaining the flexibility needed to respond to program demand. The bill also establishes both a reserve fund and a donation fund. These tools allow the state to manage fluctuations in participation and incorporate external contributions while maintaining a clear structure for how funds are allocated and used. From a broader policy perspective, this legislation reflects a targeted investment in Ohio's workforce. The individuals eligible for this program have already demonstrated discipline, commitment, and a willingness to serve. Supporting their education and training strengthens not only their individual career prospects, but also the long-term competitiveness of our state's economy. House Bill 748 connects military service, higher education, and workforce development in a way that is deliberate, accountable, and forward-looking. Chairman Young and members of the committee, thank you for your time and consideration. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you, sir. Are there any questions? Representative Richardson.
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you so much for leading the charge on this bill. And the only questions I have are just for clarity. I just, I know that we have, and I believe you covered this, but I just want to make sure. I know we have GI Bill. Well, I guess in some cases, children are eligible for GI Bill benefits of their parents and their spouses. So I would just ask the question, are GI Bill benefits taken into consideration so that we're not, you know, giving a scholarship here and also giving someone a GI benefit?
Chairman Young to Representative Richardson, that is correct. The federal benefits are provided first in this instance. And as some members may know, those are, as Representative Richardson indicated, transferable through the simple execution of a document from the military member to a spouse or child. And again, those would apply first. This is really a secondary scholarship that would apply second.
And quick follow-up? Yes, of course. With regard to ROTC scholarships, I think you covered this as well, but I just want to be certain. Where do the ROTC scholarship awardals fall in this? Because there are programs like that. I can't think of the exact title of them now, but they essentially provide our reserve with scholarships under the reserve training program. Are they also considered first before the state would then provide this scholarship?
Through the chairman to the member, that is my understanding. We can confirm that, though. But again, the general rule, I think, with the way that this legislation is drafted is the federal programs apply first. This is a secondary program, very much like the Guard Scholarship, which has been in existence for, I think, several decades here in the state.
Thank you.
Representative Williams.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you for this bill. I think it's important we've seen something like this similar before. So first I'm going to piggyback off of Representative Richardson's question. So that GI Bill double dip forgive me I never served in this country never had the opportunity to but I had two step kids that served in the Army both of them eligible for the GI Bill double dip forgive me I never served in this country never had the opportunity to but I had two stepkids that served in the Army both of them eligible for the GI Bill One went active one went reserve My stepdaughter went reserve, I believe she had to have a certain amount of time in before she became eligible for the GI. So the question becomes, since this triggers as soon as they are a reservist, this scholarship actually would apply first because they're not eligible for GI yet. So they could take this scholarship, take all 96 credits, and then when they become eligible for the GI Bill, sign it off to a spouse or a child and essentially double debt. Am I wrong about that reading of it, that this triggers as soon as they are reservists before they're even eligible for the GI Bill? Through the chairman to Representative Williams, I think we'll need to look at that. You are correct, and I'm just using my own reserve experience as an example. But again, reserve side as opposed to active duty side, it took me a period of time to be able to get to the full 100% eligibility, and I used it for a doctor quite recently. And during the early portion of that, I wasn't to the three requisite years, so it paid at the 50 and that 60% level, and once I got to the three years, it hit at 100. So I think we'll need to see how the two programs interact in that sense, and I'm happy to get back with you on that. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for that explanation. I look forward to hearing more about that. Then I had kind of one statement, one question. So I know in the past the National Guard kind of was in soft opposition to these bills because they used their exclusive scholarship as a recruitment tool. And when we expanded to all the branches, they kind of lose that to be able to recruit candidates to go to the National Guard. So I anticipate they're going to have that same position again. But as a lawyer, the question becomes, why is it only undergraduate? Let's say you have somebody that's in the reserves who does have an associate's or a bachelor's degree, and they want to go and get grad school credit so they can maybe go to JAG, you know, once they graduate from law school. Why are we going to limit it to only those that are applying that don't have a bachelor's degree currently that are in the reserves? Why wouldn't we encompass that postgraduate degree as well? So through the chairman to the member, I'll leave it to the folks from the Guard Bureau to offer their opinion on this particular bill. It's my understanding through my joint sponsor that there has been some dialogue between prior iterations of this legislation and this version of it that have cleared up some of the prior concerns. But we'll allow that part to work its way out in perhaps proponent or IP testimony. So hopefully that answers that piece of it. With respect to advanced degrees, I think there's some nuance here because the idea really is to focus on both the educational component and the workforce component. So you'll note in the way that it's crafted that it's also for certain credentialing that is not necessarily directly a degree, but in demand occupational fields within the state. So I'm open, and I'll have to talk to my joint sponsor on this about whether we'd be open to graduate degrees, law school, these types of things as well. But I think the intent here is to be directed and focused on the occupational fields that are needed. Not that more lawyers aren't needed, Representative Williams, of course.
Representative Miller.
Thank you, Chair. From one committee to the next.
I know, absolutely.
Good to see you again.
You as well.
I like it. I like the bill. Do you feel – I like it a lot, actually, because I think it's a gap that's missing, And there are some other things that we could talk about when it comes to the full active duty, poaching our guard. And there's some stuff I'd love to have conversations with. But in regards to your bill here in general do you feel confident that the guardrail in place to provide this benefit for those who want to stay work and maybe potentially raise a family in Ohio and not just take this credit and leave and take the talent elsewhere
Sure. Mr. Chairman, to Representative Miller, that's a question that I've heard probably for the 15 years that I've been knocking around this building in different capacities. The goal here is to try to provide one more tool in the toolbox for our state, both at the state government level and in this instance within our military, to try and encourage folks to stay here. So, you know, I think people make decisions based on a lot of different criteria as to why they stay or leave a state. I think all of our efforts to make the state more tax friendly, to offer these types of programs, are all designed to move in the positive direction that we're both in agreement on is desirable for the state of Ohio. Thank you.
Thank you.
Any other questions? Thank you, Commander.
Appreciate it. Thanks very much, Mr. Chairman.
Now I bring HB 530 for its third hearing and recognize Vice Chair Ritter for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to amend House Bill 530 with L underscore 136 underscore 0906 dash 4.
The motion is in order. Please explain the sub-bill.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. The proposed substitute bill will make various changes to the membership of the commission. It will remove the requirement for a public comment period and instead require public testimony in at least one commission meeting. It will update the due date of the report and require that the report is sent to the leadership of both chambers.
Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman. Are there any opposition to the sub-bill? Hearing none, the substitute bill is accepted. My office did not receive any opposition testimony on HB 530. Is there anyone present that would like to make a comment about it at all? Thank you. We'll move along. This concludes the third hearing of HB 530. I now bring forward HB 644 for its third hearing and call on Abigail Benjamin to provide proponent testimony whenever you're ready.
Abigail. Thank you, Chair. Chair Young, Vice Chair Ritter, and Ranking Member Ahudabi, and members of the Ohio House Workforce and Higher Education Committee. My name is Abby Benjamin, and I'm testifying on behalf of Arnold Benchers. I'll be summarizing the written testimony. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide testimony in favor of House Bill 644. For many, a college education provides remarkable skills and opens opportunities for well-paying careers. Yet too few Ohioans graduate. Less than a third of students who start at Ohio's Community College will earn a degree within three years. Less than 70% of students who begin at Ohio's colleges graduate. Students who do not graduate often find themselves in debt with little to show for it. Often, the right support at the right time can help students make it to graduation. These supports, including career coaching, assistance in paying for books, and gas money, can ensure that students get positive returns in college with accreditations that matter to Employers, colleges around the country from New York to North Carolina to Lorain Community College here in Ohio have adopted evidence-based practices that help many students graduate. Local economies, communities, and most of all students benefit from these reforms. Yet these programs can come with significant startup costs. These upfront costs keep campuses from adopting best practices and from innovating. House Bill 644 creates a competitive grant that helps colleges adopt and implement evidence-based reforms. These grants will help campuses scale best practices and experiment with promising methods. Evidence-based reform can boost graduation rates, make colleges more affordable to students, and improve the efficiency of Ohio's higher education system. Moreover, these reforms have been rigorously evaluated and produced significant improvement for students. This creates a strong incentive for Ohio's colleges to stay on the cutting edge of education reform. Through this competitive grant program established in House Bill 644, Ohio's colleges can test, implement, scale, evidence-based reform, and help more Ohioans complete college and contribute to the state's economy. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Are there any questions from the committee?
I have one. Is there, can you give us some, just talk to me about, We're going to have other testimony today. Outside of Ohio, other programs that have been done, are you familiar with, that you can expand on how successful they've been with this approach?
Yeah, absolutely. So there are other programs in New York as well as North Carolina. North Carolina specifically, I believe that they've had a crazy success rate. There's also been two studies done around this program, and they've been shown that people who graduate, they graduate at a higher, They have a higher salary, they make more money, they have a higher degree. And they've been a five-year and a ten-year program. So it's been studied throughout the country.
Tell me the age groups of five years, ten years, you said, in this program. Can you give me the expansion of the age groups that are involved in this process?
Just those who traditionally go to community college, but I'm happy to follow up with the chair on that. Okay, great.
Any other questions? Representative Richardson.
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you so much for your testimony. As I was reviewing it, and I'm just thinking about Arnold Ventures, and I appreciate the work that you do, could you describe for us specifically where else in Ohio you would potentially see these opportunities?
Yeah, absolutely, through the Chairman to the Representative. I think we would love for this to be statewide. I mean, the one thing about this program, it could be scalable. You can go campus to campus. However, just due to the evidence base statewide would, we believe, offer the best results.
Any other questions? Representative Williams.
Thank you, Chair. Thank you for testifying. I think this is important legislation. We just got to make sure we do it right. It's like you mentioned things like potential gas money. I think that's a barrier. I was a low income student, being able to get back and forth to school, that can be a barrier. I think childcare is another one of them. I've seen some universities have onsite childcare for people that are enrolled, that end up with an unexpected pregnancy, that they can make the choice of continuing the pregnancy and continue their education at the same time. What other type of, what do you see these universities potentially using it for Not just gas money not just individual coaching which I think is important But what else do you think universities could do
I've even seen food insecurity. You know, my wife told me stories about when she was at BGSU, how she struggled, you know, to feed herself while she was in college, coming from a single mom and a low-income student. So what else could universities, you think, do with this type of money if the fund was actually created and properly funded? Yeah, absolutely. through the chair to the representative. I do think food is something that Arnold Ventures has flagged before as something that needs to be addressed, but we actually have students who are currently in the SAIL program or have used the SAIL program who are testifying today, so I think that would be a great question for them.
Any other questions?
Thank you.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you.
I call now Kevin Duff from Ohio Excels.
Good to see you, sir. Good to see you. Chair Young, Vice Chair Ritter, Ranking Member Abdu'Ali, and members of the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide proponent testimony for House Bill 644. My name is Kevin Duff, and I'm the Executive Vice President at Ohio Excels. We're a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that engages and unites Ohio's business community to strengthen the education to workforce pipeline from early childhood through post-secondary and into the workforce. At Ohio Excels, one of our core priorities is ensuring that more Ohioans earn high-value credentials and degrees that lead to strong career opportunities. As you know, research consistently shows that education and training for students beyond a high school diploma is essential for economic mobility. At the same time, the future of our state's economy depends on our ability to develop and to retain a skilled workforce. The state has done a lot to improve accessibility and affordability of higher education over the past few years. However, that is not enough. We must ensure that students are completing their programs. Too often, students do exactly what we ask of them. They enroll in college, invest their time. They take out loans, yet far too many do not cross the finish line. The worst case scenario for us is a student who disrupts their life to attend college, accumulates debt, and then ultimately leaves without a degree or credential. That outcome is devastating for the individual, and it represents a missed opportunity for our workforce and our economy. To better understand this challenge, Ohio Excels conducted a poll in January of 2023 of Ohioans who enrolled in college but did not complete. The most commonly cited barrier is not a surprise. 25% of respondents identified that the cost of tuition, alongside the basic living expenses like housing and food, as the primary reason they stopped attending college. However, these former students pointed to many other reasons that, cumulatively, have a greater impact on their decision to stop their programs. For example, 22% indicated I had to deal with a family commitment or emergency as the primary reason they stopped. 9% said I was not properly prepared academically, and 7% reported that they were not prepared for the non-academic or social challenges for higher education. And 5% answered, I didn't know what major to pick or how to navigate the classes. This is exactly what House Bill 644 is designed to address. The bill creates the Higher Education Evidence-Based Innovation Fund and Grant Program, which would support institutions in adopting proven, research-backed strategies to boost student retention and completion through a competitive grant process. Importantly, the bill requires that funded programs demonstrate measurable impact, include strong evaluation components, address sustainability, and focus on improving retention, completion, and workforce outcomes, particularly for low-income students. One of the strongest models this grant program could advance is New York's ASAP program which was just just referenced. The ASAP program provides students with comprehensive set of supports such as financial assistance structured pathways proactive advising career guidance even even helping to pay for textbooks The results are compelling The City University of New York nearly doubled the graduation rates for the students that are going through the ASAP program And here in Ohio, the Lorraine Community College, excuse me, Lorraine County Community College pioneered a similar model called SAIL. Lorraine also doubled the graduation rates of their participants. That level of clear impact and replicability is rare in education policy, and we are really fortunate to already have proof through Lorraine's leadership that replication can be done here in Ohio. House Bill 644 creates the structure to kickstart and continue scaling these proven models throughout the state. By prioritizing outcomes-driven investments and requiring rigorous evaluation, the bill aligns funding with what works and builds a stronger knowledge base for the future. So Ohio Excels strongly supports House Bill 644 in the creation of this new program. We believe this bill represents an opportunity for more Ohio students to complete a degree, strengthen our workforce, and ensure that our higher education system delivers real value for individuals and our economy. Thank you for your time and your consideration, and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Any questions from the committee?
Representative Williams. Thank you, Chair, and thank you for coming to testify. I appreciate that. Looking at some of the statistics that you provided, you know, I'm not good at math. That's why I didn't go into engineering or any other field other than law. But 7% and 5% answered they were either unprepared or they didn't know how to navigate or pick their career or their major or their classes. So, I mean, that's 12% of our students that didn't complete. I don't think this would have an impact on them. More they were recruited to go to college and they were either unprepared or they didn't even know what they were going to college for at the time that they enrolled. How could we fix that part of it as well to be able to increase our graduation rates, our retention rates, getting students actually prepared to go to college instead of just using it as a pipeline for a higher education to get funded?
Through the chair to the representative. You might want to put the clock back on because I have a lot to say about how we do that. So I'll just start with saying that we think creating career pathways for students is incredibly important. And making sure that students from an early age, from the early grades, have an opportunity to have career awareness, career exploration activities, and even career instruction. They should be taking interest and aptitude assessments. They should be getting individual plans that can customize their education that talks about, before they even leave middle school, what is high school going to look like for you? What are the courses? What are the opportunities to get early college credit? And then how, what happens after you graduate? We need to be thinking about the entire pipeline and all of those steps. And I think this is an important component that sometimes is missing in a higher ed.
Of course. Thank you, Chair. Thank you for your answer because that's what I've been trying to focus on is exposing kids at an earlier age to opportunities that are available so they can start thinking about it at a very young age. junior high, high school, exposing to the possibilities that are available. Also, I think one of the important points is that our institutions of higher learning should not just be focused on two, four, six year degrees. They should be providing opportunities for credential programs to get in the workforce. We did that through the Platinum Provider Program that became law through the budget, trying to get more of our institutions to offer credentials because that could be one step into higher education to see if you actually fit for college or not or whether you just want to get a credential and enter the workforce Do you think that that is also an important component Could we see more of an emphasis through legislation like this on our universities
offering more credential-style classes as alternative to traditional degrees? Through the chair to the representative, absolutely. We know that we need a whole array of preparation for students beyond a high school diploma to meet the needs of our economy. And I think this model could, I think, be extended to do something like that. We have Workforce Pell that is about to start and has, I would say, some similar aspects as well. So I'm very excited for what the future holds in that space.
Yes. Thank you, Chair. I just want to put a plug in for my university, the University of Toledo. They have a great program for low-income students called Toledo Excel. My stepdaughter went through it. It had that type of individualized coaching. in high school. They had to take summer classes. They had to take individual classes at the university. They got the individual coaching while they were at the University of Toledo. They had their own department where they had resources available to them, and their retention and graduation rate is far above low-income students. They're not enrolled in Toledo Excel. So I'd like to note that program, and that's one that maybe could be a model as well. Thank you.
Thank you. Representative Abdaahi. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you for your testimony today.
Yeah, this is a great program, but it is currently underfunded. So in your expertise, what would you say a good amount of funding would be for this program to be successful?
Through the chair, to the representative, that is a great question. So, yes, there is not an appropriation in this bill. We would support an appropriation. We also are aware that there is a state budget that's about to come down the line. And I think having this conversation now is very well timed, especially as campaigns and administration are also thinking about what is important to them as well. I don't have an exact number for you, but I would be happy to look into that and reach back out to your office.
That would be great. Thank you.
Representative Miller.
Vice President Dove, I'm always excited when I can agree with you on something. I work hard at that. Good to see you here. Like the bill, right now until it gets funding, my understanding is it's just a framework. But I do want to just dive into a little bit of that chancellor responsibility, even without funding. Does it require the chancellor and higher ed to kind of set up model programs, often one based in the Lorain County Community College? or in that school up north, as we call it from Bowling Green, are we going to have some sort of model curriculum that the chancellor can get that a grant will be based on? Or does it just have kind of bullet point target data points you need to hit?
Can you give me a little bit more in-depth explanation on that? Through the chair, Representative. Yes, so the bill does not require a specific type of model. And it leaves, I think wisely, leaves open to any sort of program that an institution might have that works for their community and has demonstrated evidence of success. And we think that's really important. One of the things that we really love about the higher education policy here in Ohio is that we have a school funding formula, or the SSI, that is outcomes-based. And one thing that we like about, even if there's not an appropriation here, establishing a framework for everybody to be thinking about for community organizations in Ohio. in different communities to be thinking about is how do we set up programs? Where do we get that kickstarting dollars, right? Because if you have funding from a performance-based and completion-based, which is, we believe, the right way to go, you are getting that money on the back end. Where do we get that money on the front end? And I think this structure allows us to integrate that evidence-based philosophy on the front end to help start up and replicate things that are really working. So I would encourage the chancellor to have conversations and talk about models not only here in Ohio but around the nation as options to explore with the communities. But I don't think it has any restrictions on that.
Follow up, if I may?
Yes.
Do you believe this will be additional, or do you foresee this or look forward to this being additional front-end investment in higher ed in addition to the SSI or the state share of instruction? Or do you envision, or you being Excel, envision this, starting this model to start to replace SSI so that it's all based on data-driven outcomes for the funding?
Through the chair to the representative. I love data, but no, I see this as a supplement to SSI to help on the front end.
Thank you.
Thanks, Chair. Any other questions? I would like to comment on a couple of things. First of all, our caucus did a very good job in working with organizations like Ohio Excels and listening to our audience, which are our students. And we've been able to do many, many things, integrate many, many things working through our ESCs, our two years and our four years, on accelerated 90-degree, 30-degree degrees, and using those pathways. We also have integrated in many schools stackable efforts where you get a certificate. You get a technical certificate. Then you get credit for another year of school. And then you get a two-year degree. And then that next step is another stackable item in credit hours. And then we move on to an advanced degree. What we've created in Ohio, which I feel is unique, I haven't seen anything in other places, is the fact that we are now getting it. We are saying that we are going to, and it didn't take a lot of effort. It was let's do one accelerated degree, I call it, and then everyone bought into it. And the two-year schools, the four-year schools, they're getting it. And the creativity that's coming out of higher education, post-secondary education is quite extraordinary. And they're doing it themselves. And so your advocation and support is very important. The other thing I'd like to say that we don't often partner with not-for-profits. Local schools do. And we don't leverage those partnerships. And we have recently with a partnership with ODW CSY and ODHE on the foster legislation we put through which will affect in essence all students But this is good This is a very very good program a great start Not start, but a continuation to partner, and hopefully this grows to a bigger and better thing. Yeah. Any other questions?
Representative Workman. Thank you, Chair. Welcome back. It's good to see you again. Good to see you. I apologize. I had to step out. My daughter had an emergency at school. No broken bones. We're good. But I do want to ask you a question. This bill, and I apologize if you already addressed it, and I missed it. This bill requires the chancellor to conduct a feasibility study on including employment and earnings criteria and retrenchment processes at state institutions and to submit a report on the study's findings to the General Assembly. So my question to you, and we've discussed this in the past, so I come back full circle. My question is, how do we measure workforce alignment beyond wages, like job placement, race, or underemployment? Do you have any ideas on those criteria that the Chancellor may use in the development of this program?
Through the chair to the representative, I believe that that portion has been removed from the bill via amendment at an earlier hearing.
My apologies. I'm sorry. I may have missed that. So no worries. We're good. Thank you. Okay. That's good. Well, you had other things on your mind, but that's okay. Daughter comes first.
Any other questions?
Thanks. Appreciate you coming.
Thank you.
Now I call on Avi Zafani, the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, whenever you're ready.
Avi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Vice Chair Ritter, Ranking Member, Abdullahi, and members of the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of House Bill 644. My name is Avi Zafini. I'm the president of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. And on behalf of our community colleges, we appreciate the opportunity to speak to this bill and thank the sponsor for introducing this important legislation. My testimony is before you, and I know we want to get quickly to the experts who are here, so I will just share three quick statewide observations with you. The reality is that Health Support 64 addresses, or 644 rather, addresses a very important topic, that of student success and completion. It's a very important challenge, especially for community college students. A third of our students are age 25 and older, and they have other responsibilities at that phase in their life. 37% are parents. 75% juggle work and academics, with nearly half working 40 hours a week. More than a third report using at least one form of public assistance within the previous year. Nearly two-thirds qualify for financial aid. For many of these students, completing the demands of work and family and finances can easily disrupt their educational plans and delay that progress. My second point is that community colleges are fully engaged in supporting those students. Now, as has been mentioned already in this hearing, our colleges provide a very wide range of academic and personal supports, including advising, tutoring, child care assistance, transportation support, and other wraparound services. However, the scale of these types of services are limited to available resources. That where House Bill 644 comes in It going to help us address this challenge through targeted investments that support the development piloting scaling and evaluation of evidence student success strategies across campus As has already been mentioned, importantly, this bill also creates a mechanism for private partners to match or supplement the state's investment, allowing these programs to reach even more students. I'll note that in addition to working on this individually, Ohio's community colleges also work together in looking at completion and student success strategies at the OACC. We launched the Success Center for Ohio Community Colleges more than a decade ago, and together, collaboratively, our colleges work on important strategies and evidence-based practices to support and improve student success. The result has been significant, and that particular model, the Success Center, has been copied in other states, including Texas and Florida. Over the past decade, the efforts of that Success Center, and I would also say the efforts of the General Assembly, especially as it relates to SSI and performance-based funding, we have seen the gap narrow between community colleges' success here in Ohio versus the national completion rates, and it's dropped from 8.9% in 2010 to 1.3% in 2019. There has been progress, but there is much work to do. And this progress demonstrates what is possible when community colleges have the resources and support they need. That's my final point. There are successful Ohio models today that can work if House Bill 644 is passed. The ASAP program was mentioned. There are three schools that did that work, Cincinnati State, Cuyahoga Community College, and Lorain County Community College. The results were very impressive. The Ohio demonstration increased graduation rates by nearly 50% and improved earning outcomes for participants. And that program continues at one of our colleges, Lorain County Community College, which operates this particular initiative. It's now known as the SAIL program.
And Mr. Chairman, President Bollinger from Lorain County Community College is here
and can share some more about that program if that's acceptable at this time.
Super. Any questions?
No. You want me to take them? Yeah.
Okay. Dr. Marshall Ballinger, come forward. We're very excited to hear this. Did you have a question, Representative Mel?
Well, go ahead. Ask the question. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I'm never going to ask the president of my interview. College to sit back down, but I would since you're there. Maybe this is something you both can answer at each appropriate time so this This model is very very similar And that's why I'm supporting this as well to what we were trying to do with the k-12 in a community school We're trying to get those wraparound services. We're trying to fill in those gaps I wish we would have taken that approach to our k-12 as well but I do think that this bill can set a precedent for finding or coming to the understanding that students are coming to us with more needs than just academic content. And they're coming to us at different times in their lives with different problems. My question to you is this. What do you think this investment would take to get this program adopted across the community colleges in Ohio Mr Chair to the representative I will let President Bollinger speak specifically to the costs of the institution What I can say broadly for Ohio community colleges is that when you look at the level of funding that community colleges receive through SSI and then what they charge on tuition, generally that kind of funding provides the funds that are needed for operations. It keeps the lights on for those institutions. When it comes to starting and scaling initiatives, whether that's on the workforce side or on the student success side, many times those things are kind of connected. Usually you have to go look for funding elsewhere. Every college is involved in this work in one way or another. This is about scaling, and fortunately, there are many evidence-based programs that we can look to that colleges have successfully replicated here in Ohio. The question is simply about scale and resources to devote to it. Generally, that has to happen with bills like this. This is why we're for House Bill 644 so much. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you.
Any other questions? Thanks, Avi. Dr. Ballinger.
Thank you so much. Chair Young, Vice Chair Ritter, Ranking Member Abdullahi, House Bill 644, Primary Sponsor Representative Manning, and members of the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee, thank you so much for the opportunity to provide testimony today in support of House Bill 644. As president of Lorain County Community College, we strongly support the intent of this legislation, which is to invest in evidence-based strategies that improve student success, strengthens workforce alignment, and expands economic opportunities for Ohioans. One example of this, which we've talked about, is SALE. SALE is an acronym for Students Accelerating in Learning, which is an evidence-based program that replicated the model coming out of the City University of New York. We started this seven years ago. It is a structured combination of academic pathways for low-income students that includes intensive advising, targeted financial supports that include tuition assistance, textbooks, transportation, and the results are clear. When we studied the CUNY model, their results were transformational. They utilized randomized control groups to ensure that it was evidence-based. And in Ohio, we partnered with MDRC, a national leading evaluator, to work with us to ensure that we had the appropriate evaluations in place. The findings confirmed that what started in New York could, in fact, be replicated here in Ohio. What makes SAIL so successful is it is a coordinated, student-centered approach that is designed to remove barriers for students and that they followed the structured pathway and address the real-world barriers that our students encountered. And you're going to hear some of that this afternoon from Shiloh. Prior to us implementing SAIL, the three-year completion rate for Pell-eligible students, so Pell eligible being our neediest students, was under 10%. We have more than quadrupled this, and the graduation rate now for Pell eligible students who go through SAIL is 45%, which demonstrates the transformational gains. The outcomes are especially meaningful when you consider the realities that our students navigate. The students in the program are, likely to reach key milestones along the way, such as earning more college credits, completing gateway math and English, which we know is absolutely critical, and then staying on track to completion. We also have measured the results of the student earnings data, and students completing this program earn more than students who do not complete this program, and on average $2,000 to $3,000 more annually. It represents a Tier 3 level of evidence, which is the highest level outlined in House Bill 644 that demonstrates that you can measure this and that it can be replicated throughout our other 21 community colleges in addition to Lorraine. This past year, we scaled it beyond the initial group which now we have close to 300 students that are in the program. We think that this type of model makes it possible to share throughout Ohio. We are happy at Lorain County Community College to share the playbook. We're happy and we would be delighted to work with the chancellor to help to establish what the model might look like. And we're proud to offer how SAIL is one example of what could be accomplished with this house bill. While the data is important and helps to quantify the impact, the real power is about the students. And I'm absolutely delighted to have with me today Shaila, who is accompanied by her SAIL advisor, Whitney. and Shiloh is going to share firsthand just what this support has meant to her as part of her program completion at Lorain County Community College. Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be happy to answer any questions now or at the conclusion of Shiloh's testimony.
All right. Well, let's have Shiloh come up and then Shiloh come up and testify. We'll fire all the questions at you.
Chair Young, Vice Chair Ritter, Ranking Member Adulahi, Member of House Workforce and Higher Education Community. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of House Bill 644. My name is Shaila Bush. I'm 43 years old. I live in Lorain, Ohio. I'm a student at Lorain Community College in an engineering technologies program, studying industrial electrical technologies, and I am part of the CEL program, which stands for Student Accelerating and Learning. Going to school after 20 years, complicated. My current college journey started with uncertainty. I worked for two companies that both closed their businesses back to back. My pay was getting lower, and I knew I needed something more stable. I had a deep talk with my spouse that led me into rolling into LCCC. I was excited to begin classes, but I was also unsure, and I didn't feel confident in my path. That's when my spouse encouraged me to try CELL. They had been a student and knew about the program. From the beginning of sale from the beginning my sale advisor Whitney Houston Huland Houston changed everything From our first meeting I could tell I was in the right place Whitney put me at ease. When I was skeptical, Whitney was confident. When I felt overwhelmed, she brought peace and clarity. And when I was ready to give up, she reminded me why I started. Through cell, I was able to rebuild my schedule in a way that worked for me and the way that I learn, I live. One's class I had always feared was English. But SAIL connected me right away with the writing center and tutors who worked with me step by step. I was able to overcome the fear and succeed in that course. The impact of SAIL goes far beyond academics. At one point, I ran out of a Pell Grant funding, and I didn't know how I was going to continue. I truly believe that without the emergency financial support of SEL and LCCC help provide for me, I would not be in school today. As I moved further into my program, the workload increased. During my first year, I was able to rely on my savings from my severance package from my job. But by the second year, that was gone, and I had to go back to work. While taking classes, I was burning a candle at both ends and starting to burn out. it got to a point where I felt like I was just falling and no one could hear me scream. I went to Whitney with tears in my eyes, ready to give up. She listened. She asked questions. She gave me space to think. And through that space, I was able to find my own path forward. The conversation didn't just help me stay in school. It changed how I approached my life. I will always be grateful to her and Cell Program for that moment in my life. So it's taught me in this journey that life is just many moments that I can thrive through if I stay with it and if I don't give up. I have a great support team with Cell and my family. The further I get into my degree, the more support I get and the more confident I am that I will finish. Without Cell, I truly believe I would have left college altogether. Instead, I'm working towards my goal of building a career in electrical engineering technologies. and one day I hope to contribute to work connected to NASA. This is a dream I know is true and I know will come true because of LCCC and CEL. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Dr. Ballinger, do you want to come up here too to stand in partnership? Shiloh, that was awesome. Thank you. Bless your heart. Representative, I think, Manning.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you both, Dr. Ballinger and Shaila, for everything that you do. And great testimony. And Whitney, raise your hand there so we can see where you are. Whitney, great job, you know. And I think we could all use a Whitney in our lives, couldn't we? Yes, we could. So, Dr. Ballinger, a lot of the talk has been about how we're going to be able to fund this. And you were very lucky to have Arnold Ventures, who helped you. And you've got 300 students. Do you have any idea of looking forward how much Arnold Ventures helped you and how many students that helped? And I know, you know, LCC has always done it right. We're giving shout-outs to colleges. So LCC as we very well know is the best in the state and nationally recognized Every time I turn around I read about that and it because you helping people like Shaila and so many others to reach their success So any idea of the cost? Obviously we want, you know, different groups to help us.
Yeah, so we've done a deep dive into the cost analysis as part of our decision beyond the pilot that was funded for the three years. what did we need to do and how did we need to think differently about what is strategic financing and where investments need to be made in our institution and transform some of that. So the cost per student for all of the wraparound intensive, they receive a $50 a month gift card to Giant Eagle for either food or gas. The advising, there's an additional cost for advising. because the advising ratio and model is extremely critical to programs like this. I mean, as you heard from Shilah, if it weren't for Whitney, she wouldn't be standing here today. And so we have 150 students to one advisor ratio. While that still may sound large, it's not unusual for ratios to be 300 students to one counselor, 500 students, 800 students. And so putting students on an academic plan is a critical, critical piece of this. And then having mandatory tutoring in math, for example, having the writing center, the cost of textbooks, as we know, is one that this supports as well. So we have about a $7,500 per student component to it. But what we have done is that, and this is I think part of looking at a playbook model for this, is then calculated out what is the reimbursement from the state share of instruction. because what happens, it's a trailing model, right? So that's why the innovation funding concept at the beginning is so important because you don't get the return on it until, in some cases, three years later or two years later. But we did calculations that demonstrated when students hit the milestone markers in the state share of instruction performance-based funding model, 12 credit hours, 24 credit hour completion, 36 credit hour completion, completion of gateway level math and English in the first year, completion of credit hours before student transfers, and then finally the completion of the associate's degree. And so when we put that model together against the sales students, for example, what we find is that over the course of their time with us, that generates about $17,000 in the state share of instruction. And so while all of that doesn't go to offset and support what those additional intensive wraparounds are, it does support advising. It does support the other operations of the college as it's intended to do. So it's rethinking how it's done, but it's understanding what is the actual cost, And then how do you create that investment in it? And raising philanthropic funds with private partners like Arnold Ventures, like the Nord Family Foundation in Lorain County among others is critical to this Follow Yeah question Thank you for all that information. That was very, very beneficial.
So the sale has been extremely successful, but is there anything that you think that was missing in that that you would have liked to have seen in the sale program that you think would have helped along even more so? I would love, and we have, to have offered it to more students because we utilized the cohort model but had to think differently.
How can we address every student who is Pell eligible, right? So that really was the piece for us. Emergency aid is extremely important. And students will tell you, I'm sure Shiloh can share this with you, that when students at a community college hit one barrier in a semester, many of them swirl out and think they'll come back the next semester or the following semester. And then they lose momentum. And those barriers could be anything from a car breaking down to not having money for utilities and rent. And so the barrier busting is what I like to call it. So emergency aid is really difficult to find. That isn't funded currently. And so it's up to us to go out to try to raise these philanthropic funds to be able to address that. And typically, what the research shows is that $500 is the make or break mark. If something's more than $500, the student swirls out.
Any other questions? Representative Miller.
Thank you, Chair. I'll first start with we need more Whitney's in the world because mentors make it. So thank you for being here and thank you for what you did, your vision, President Ballinger, And then, Charlotte, it takes Lorraine grit, you know, to get through those tough times when you want to scream in your hands or in the other direction. And I really think that not only do you make the college proud, you make Lorraine proud, but you should be proud of the efforts you put in. My question goes to, and I thank my colleague because she asked pretty much where I was heading at. But I think that people don't realize, and I want you to comment on this, President Bollinger, is when you invest in a program that you think is going to bring your student success, and you put those resources in there, and you've made amazing partnerships, something that I think Roy Church and you have done so much since I started at Lorain County Community College way back when, is that you build these partnerships. You get this investment. You get this buy-in. You create a program. You've got data to support it. that's when we should come in and take over and try to make this model go across the state. Do you think that if we do something like this and we get this in our head, that investing in programs like this that are data-driven that work, that now you can go off to the next opportunity and vision to create another program that will help students in different areas and different avenues and maybe other colleges as well? I do believe that.
Representative Young to Representative Miller.
So earlier today, you had asked the question about pathways and career pathways. Where I think the next big opportunity is part of the caretaker. 12 college credit plus component to this. So in high school, students typically don't have a college plan or a career plan by the time they graduate. And so we have been committed, and I am delighted to share that in this past year, we now have 77% of Lorain County high school seniors on a career plan that we've developed with them. And so I think as we look at that on-ramp, if you will, to college, College Credit Plus provides, Ohio has one of the best models in the nation, by the way, And we have now 52% of all students graduating from Lorain County High Schools earn on average with us 20 credit hours by the time they graduate. That's double the state average. That's double the national average. If we take our high school students, starting down in middle school, and develop these pathways, right, and then collaborate back with the schools to put them on that on-ramp, I think we could see such an acceleration of college completion, which equates to a more vibrant economy for all and moving the students and their families up the socioeconomic ladder. Before the legislation for College Credit Plus was created, we had about 20% of Lorain County students earning on average six credit hours a year. To go from six credit hours, 20%, to 20 credit hours with 52%, we actually have a bold goal in place, which you were part of our strategic planning process, that by 2035, 85% of all Lorain County students will graduate on average with 30 credit hours from us. And I think scaling models like that, combining it with a SAIL program, will put Ohio in such a competitive position for a talent pipeline. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Representative Abdahi.
Thank you, Chair. Rep Manning pretty much asked my question, so thank you for your answer. So I just wanted to say thank you, Shaila, for sharing your story. I know how difficult, well, not personally, but my mom went back to school after having all nine of us when I was in college. So I know how difficult it could be just watching her and how important it is to have a good support system. So thank you, Lorraine Community College, for offering that and sharing that success story for us to learn from. Thank you.
Representative Temps.
Thank you, Chair. I was going to echo the same thing. I just wanted to thank you, Shaila, for being here and sharing your story because someone is watching who's also struggling and burning both ends of the candle, as you so eloquently mentioned. And because of your testimony today, in every sense of the word, someone else is going to continue to go for it, even if they don't have a Whitney.
So thank you so much for being a light in this story Any other questions Shaila thanks for coming I love the story The thing that we are evolving to in Ohio is a partnership with our students and our families And I want to commend Avi, your organization, and Ohio Excels, and our four-year institutions. They're getting it, right? We've come a long way, right? doctor. And I think that's the true measure when you have someone testify about their story, which is a tough thing to do at times, right? But I'll continue to say this. You're a victory. And bless you for coming here today. And you're an example that we want to be able to see across the board. Any other questions? Thank you so much for coming. now I'd like to call Chad Aldis from the Thomas beef forum foundation are you sure you want to come up and talk after that welcome to thank you mr. chairman I clearly need more situational
awareness I should sit back down chair young vice chair Ritter ranking member of Delhi and members of the committee thank you for the opportunity today to provide a testimony in support of House Bill 644. My name is Chad Aldis and I'm with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. For those of you who don't know, Fordham is an education-focused non-profit committed to promoting rigorous research and high expectations for all students. Ohio has made meaningful progress in expanding access to higher education, but access alone does not guarantee success. Too many students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, enroll in college but do not complete a credential. That reality carries real consequences for individuals, families, and the state's workforce. House Bill 644 represents a practical research-driven effort to improve those outcomes. At its core, HB 644 is about encouraging colleges to invest in strategies that have been shown to work. The bill creates a dedicated fund and competitive grant opportunity that allows public institutions to pilot, expand, and evaluate programs aimed at improving student success. Rather than funding initiatives based on good intentions alone, and you hear lots of pitches that are involved that involve just good intentions, the proposal emphasizes approach supported by credible research and measurable results. Institutions seeking support must clearly articulate how their efforts will improve outcomes such as retention, completion, and time to degree, and how those efforts will be evaluated over time. The bill also places a strong focus on serving students who face the greatest barriers to success, ensuring that new investments are aligned with Ohio's broader goals around equal opportunity and workforce readiness why evidence-based investment matters we are not starting from scratch when it comes to improving college completion we should learn from what's happened before a growing body of research shows that certain types of student supports such as structured course pathways proactive advising and targeted emergency financial assistance can significantly improve both graduation rates and long-term earnings one of the most compelling examples comes from Lorraine and you heard a lot about that so I I just add a couple of additional data points and not try to follow up the experts with anything more specific Their success has been impressive. Their three-year graduation rate in one of the most recent studies was 35% for students in the program versus 19% in those who were not in the program. And after eight years, it was 46% compared to 31% for not in the program. Those are really tough results to get when you actually have a rigorous methodology for evaluating it. The benefits extend well beyond graduation, though. Years after participating in these programs, students are earning more, with average wages about 14% higher than comparable students who did not receive the same support. These results demonstrate that well-designed interventions can meaningfully change students' trajectories. The bill takes a disciplined approach by requiring institutions to compete for funding based on the strength of their proposals. This ensures that resources are directed toward colleges that are ready to implement thoughtful, research-backed strategies, and not just another mandate that puts another program on the plate of someone who really isn't interested in doing it. This structure also helps address a common challenge in higher education finance. Ohio rightly rewards institutions for improved outcomes in its funding system, but there can be delay between when a student support program is launched and when those results actually generate improvement. A targeted grant program can help institutions cover the upfront costs needed to get effective programs off the ground. In this way, the bill supports innovation while maintaining accountability. Colleges must define clear goals, measure progress, and plan for long-term sustainability beyond the initial grant period. In conclusion, House Bill 644 is a strong example of policy grounded in evidence and focused on results. It creates a pathway to extend a successful program in Lorraine, while at the same time opening the door to more innovative efforts, maybe ones we haven't even thought of yet. By encouraging institutions to adopt proven models, Ohio can move more quickly toward a system where student success is the norm rather than the exception. This bill will likely help more Ohioans earn meaningful credentials, improve their economic prospects, and contribute to the state's long-term prosperity. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony, and I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Any questions? I have a couple comments. Thank you very much for coming. The key point here, and I know that the Fordham Foundation has really raised the consciousness of this, is upward mobility. It's a very, very key area. And this organization and our institutions, higher post-secondary institutions, it's a very, very critical part. We need to do more, right? And this is probably a very good first step, second step, or whatever. I would say that we did have in the budget a provision for incentive for upward mobility It didn make it but the message was clear We also need to, the thing that I'm finding with young people and all age groups, we're going to have to go out and get the student. Rarely are you going to walk through the door. I hope you agree with that, Dr. Ballinger, to sit back and think that future students are going to come through the front door. It's just not going to happen. Some are, but we leave a lot on the table. And I would encourage that discussion to continue, the upward mobility, because here's the issue. You all know this. When a business looks at Ohio, the number one thing is the workforce. And you will hear me say this continually. Education is the economic engine. It's not Jobs, Ohio. It's not some government program handing out money. It's higher education. It's a continuation. and we could even go through getting into the primary through secondary to get young people into a pathway. That's the economic engine. And thank you for your work at the Fordham Foundation. Are there any questions from anyone? Thank you very much. Appreciate it. We have written testimony on your iPads. I now recognize Representative Manning for a motion.
Thank you, Chair. I move to favorably report House Bill 644 as a substitute bill and recommend its passage.
Call the roll. Chair Young. Yes. Vice Chair Ritter. Yes. Ranking member, Abdullahi. Yes.
Representative Davila.
Representative John. Yes.
Representative Manning. Yes.
Representative Miller.
Yes.
Representative Pickle Antonio. Yes.
Representative Richardson.
Representative Santucci. Yes.
Representative Timms.
Yes. Representative Williams.
Yes.
Representative Workman. Yes. We have 10 affirmative votes and zero negative votes for the substituted bill is accepted. Members, please sign the committee report before you leave, and we'll keep the roll open until 5 p.m. today. With no further business for the committee, the Workforce and Higher Education Committee is hereby adjourned.