The Ohio Department of Higher Education announced the Choose Ohio First awards to the colleges last week. The program is designed to strengthen Ohio’s competitiveness in STEM and STEM education.
Participating colleges and universities award scholarships and provide work-based learning experiences to students pursuing a certificate, or associate’s, bachelor’s or graduate degree in eligible STEM fields or STEM education.
The money will be awarded for four years, beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year and continuing through the 2031-2032 year. The state announced the awards early to give the colleges a year to recruit students, said Jeff Robinson, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Scholarship amounts range from $2,000 to $8,000 a year, but schools decide the amounts within that range. For instance, at Cleveland State University, which is due to receive $776,400, Choose Ohio First scholarships will be based on financial need and range from $2,000 to $5,000 a year.
Choose Ohio First is 19 years old. It was championed by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican who created the program as speaker of the Ohio House.
“Ohio’s future depends on preparing more students for the careers that are shaping our economy, and that starts with giving them the chance to pursue high-demand STEM fields,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in an announcement for the College of Wooster’s award. “Choose Ohio First inspires more students to reach their full potential. It helps students discover their passion for opportunities in STEM and graduate ready to start a great career right here in Ohio.”
The following is the list of schools and their total Choose Ohio First Award money.
- Antioch College: $259,873
- Ashland University: $325,577
- Aultman College: $183,960
- Baldwin Wallace University: $549,941
- Bluffton University: $43,255
- Bowling Green State University: $595,327
- Capital University: $300,000
- Case Western Reserve University: $828,800
- Cedarville University: $100,000
- Central State University: $174,655
- Cincinnati State Technical and Community College: $296,545
- Clark State College: $72,000
- Cleveland State University: $776,400
- College of Wooster: $135,000
- Columbus State Community College: $420,000
- Cuyahoga Community College: $409,150
- Defiance College: $264,000
- Edison State Community College: $170,899
- Heidelberg University: $355,346
- Hiram College: $459,361
- Hocking College: $120,000
- John Carroll University: $425,000
- Kent State University: $1,201,200
- Kettering College: $308,280
- Lake Erie College: $425,000
- Lakeland Community College: $132,635
- Lorain County Community College: $251,850
- Malone University: $116,920
- Marietta College: $268,466
- Miami University: $378,000
- Mount Carmel College of Nursing: $350,000
- Mount Saint Joseph University: $619,758
- Mount Vernon Nazarene University: $250,000
- Muskingum University: $426,600
- North Central State College: $243,000
- Ohio Northern University: $850,000
- Ohio University: $510,000
- Ohio Wesleyan University: $651,319
- Otterbein University: $441,040
- Shawnee State University: $525,000
- Sinclair Community College: $255,200
- Stark State College: $250,000
- Terra State Community College: $256,128
- The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences: $438,577
- The Ohio State University: $2,412,000
- Tiffin University: $544,000
- University of Akron: $850,000
- University of Cincinnati: $513,000
- University of Dayton: $1,355,380
- University of Findlay: $400,000
- University of Rio Grande: $506,539
- University of Toledo: $494,000
- Ursuline College: $250,000
- Washington State College of Ohio: $175,000
- Wilberforce University: $174,655
- Wilmington College: $150,000
- Wright State University: $650,000
- Xavier University: $500,000
- Youngstown State University: $680,000
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