PAINESVILLE, Ohio — A new initiative in Lake County will provide some Painesville City Local Schools students with free tuition at a local college.
The Painesville Promise is a joint initiative between Lake Erie College, the City of Painesville and the Painesville City Local Schools. In a press release, the college said the program "will enhance the City of Painesville's level of educational attainment of its residents as well as confront the issue of student loan debt at a local level."
The initiative would allow well-prepared Painesville City students "of modest means" to attend Lake Erie College tuition-free for four years. Students would pay no out-of-pocket tuition, and would not have to take out loans to pay for their tuition or fees.
In order to qualify, students would need to meet the criteria for federal and state need-based grants, as well as some academic scholarships and need-based grants from the college. The Painesville Promise program would allow the College to increase institutional financial aid packages for those specific students. The City of Painesville will also commit resources to help those students afford their schooling, although those details were not readily available.
Criteria for program eligibility includes: First-time freshmen who apply and have been accepted to Lake Erie College; Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and a score in the top 50th percentile on standardized tests (18 or above on the ACT or 960 or above on the SAT); families who file Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and are Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) eligible and full Federal Pell Grant eligible; and students who reside within the Painesville City limits for the past two academic years. Students who are admitted must enroll in full-time undergraduate study at Lake Erie College.
“We at Lake Erie College are incredibly proud to reside in Painesville, and I am thrilled to significantly increase our commitment to the local students of Painesville,” said Lake Erie College President, Dr. Brian Posler. “We are pleased to make a significant new commitment to local students by giving them a means to obtain their degree entirely grant funded.”
According to 2018 census data, even though Lake County has 27.9% of its residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, the City of Painesville is only at 16.3%, behind the state (26.7%) and national (30.3%) averages, which in turn poses challenges for economic development and the attraction/retention of businesses that seek a well-educated workforce.
“One of Painesville City’s greatest assets is the young people who live in our city. This program is a collaborative effort between the City and College to help provide a four year college education for our young adults,” said Jim Fodor, Painesville City Councilman. “This program also addresses the need of our local businesses and organizations seeking a well-educated workforce. This program is an investment in our future and provides hope for the future of students who qualify.”
Lake Erie College currently offers millions of dollars in institutional grants for students, but not many Painesville students attend college there.
“We realize that a college education is a financial burden for many families. We have a vested interest in attracting more local, commuter students to the college, which would allow us to grow without the burden of increased housing infrastructure," said Lake Erie College’s Vice President of Enrollment, Mike Brown. "We would also like to make more progress on our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as part of our strategic plan. We hope to attract more academically well-prepared, local students who might otherwise not be able to afford a college education.”
“Painesville Promise has the potential to make a college education available to students who may otherwise not have access. As a school district, we are constantly seeking to increase opportunity for the students we serve, and we are appreciative of and excited for the collaboration with the City of Painesville and Lake Erie College in this effort,” said Josh Englehart, Ed.S., Ph.D., Superintendent of Painesville City Local Schools.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below originally aired on Feb. 5, 2021.