Kent State University receives Choose Ohio First funding from the Ohio Department of Education

The Ohio Department of Education has given Kent State University $1.2 million in funding to help bolster the Choose Ohio First scholarship funds the school can give out to students seeking degrees in STEM-related fields. Since its inception in 2008, the Choose Ohio First program has provided support to individuals who are studying STEM fields and encouraged them to stay in Ohio upon completing their degrees to bolster the state’s workforce talent pool.

According to an article on Kent State University’s website, Lique Coolen, Ph.D., M.B.A, who serves as the assistant to the provost for special projects and professor of biological sciences and as the program lead for Choose Ohio First at Kent State, was quoted as saying of this new round of funding, "We are excited and grateful for the support for our students in this impactful program. The goal is to provide students enrolled in these programs with affordable higher education and career opportunities in Ohio and fill the statewide need for professionals in jobs in healthcare, information and engineering technology."

The new funding is going to continue providing scholarships to students who will begin their education at Kent State University after May 1, 2024 in bachelor degree level STEM courses. The programs that are newly eligible for the Choose Ohio First scholarships are Engineering Technology, Healthcare, and Information Technology, in both Associate of Applied Science and Business degrees. These changes also expand available funding to regional campuses of Kent State University.

Peggy Shadduck, Ph.D., who is the vice president for Regional Campuses and dean of the College of Applied and Technical Studies, said of the Choose Ohio First program, “This program supports workforce development and economic growth of the state and the regions where our Regional Campuses are located. This funding helps us bridge the gap between education and the workforces in our regions."

Lt. Governor Jon Husted spoke of his motivations in originally creating the Choose Ohio First scholarship program, saying, "When I talk to employers across the state, their No. 1 issue is finding people with the right skills to fill their jobs. It's important that we're creating more opportunities for Ohio's students to earn STEM skills and stay right here in our state after graduation, and that's what this program does. Since I created the scholarship in 2008, there have been 17,678 Choose Ohio First students and (this) announcement opens that opportunity to hundreds more."

For more information about Kent State University, visit the school’s website.