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As Tax Year Closes, Ohio Community Colleges Seek Donations to Help Students
COLUMBUS, OHIO – As the 2019 tax year comes to a close and Ohioans are
looking for charitable-giving tax deductions, the state’s 23 community
colleges are encouraging families to consider making a financial gift
to their local college, boosting efforts to help improve student
success and advance innovation.
“Community colleges provide tremendous value to Ohio families and our
overall economy, but there’s a troubling gap between that value and the
low level of annual giving those colleges receive,” said Jack Hershey,
president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC).
“It’s amazing that just one percent of all the annual giving to higher
education nationally is directed to community colleges, when those
colleges enroll more than 35 percent of all the postsecondary students
in the state.”
“We want to turn that gap on its head by changing the perception of
donors who generously support higher education, but too often overlook
the needs of community colleges that directly serve their home towns
and neighbors,” Hershey said. “After all, Ohio’s community
colleges are widely considered the gateway for helping area businesses
quickly find skilled workers, while providing students with a low-cost
path to a degree or credential required for today’s in-demand jobs.
Plus, the average tuition in Ohio for a four-year college is almost
$10,000 compared to just under $4,500 at a community college – making a
gift to a community college a more powerful return on investment for
donors.”
Hershey said the OACC is stressing five compelling reasons for giving to a community college:
Donors may be able to take advantage of charitable tax deductions.
Students are appreciative. Many of the students attending community
colleges are the first in their family ever to attend college or are
nontraditional students, often raising families. The cost of college
can be a particular burden to these individuals.
Invest in YOUR community. After receiving their degree or
certificate, more than 90% of community college students seek job
opportunities locally compared to graduates of larger four-year
schools, who too often move away from the local hometown to find work.
Scholarships help! While Ohio’s community colleges are
affordable, private giving helps increase scholarships and
opportunities for more students to get on the path (and stay on the
path) to a rewarding new career.
Help close Ohio’s skills gap. Community colleges are playing a critical
role in Governor Mike DeWine’s efforts to help more Ohioans get a
degree, certificate or credential needed to close the state’s skills
gap by developing new programs and training workers for emerging
industries.
According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, more than 171,000
students were enrolled at Ohio community colleges in 2017, compared to
286,000 undergraduates studying at four-year public universities in the
state.
For more information on the various ways you can support one of Ohio’s
23 community colleges, including charitable contributions that may be
tax deductible, please contact your local community college today.
For more information about giving to Edison State Community College,
contact Rick Hanes with The Edison Foundation at rhanes@edisonohio.edu
or call 937.778.7806.
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