An expansion to the OHIO Admission Promise, the President's Opportunity Promise Award for Fall 2024 is part of our ongoing commitment to access and affordability, and our commitment to serving the students of our region. This award will make it possible for qualifying Pell-eligible students in Athens County and all contiguous Ohio counties to attend Ohio University tuition-free. The scholarship will cover remaining Athens campus in-state tuition and mandatory fees after subtracting a student’s Pell Grant and other federal, state and institutional gift aid.
https://www.ohio.edu/admissions/presidents-opportunity-pr...State support for OHIO is good and the move to go tuition free for the surrounding 7 county area (est. 2024 population 227,048). All of this territory within the 50 mile commuting range that makes a student exempt from living in the dorms and meal plan requirement. Those students then only will have to pay activity fees from those counties.
One of the challenges the university has faced is freshman retention. Freshman retention with students leaving because of cost. This program will certainly help in that regard.