December 9, 2024
Last week the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Higher Education awarded $779,999.92 in FY25 Choose Ohio First (COF) funding to Ursuline College. COF is a scholarship program that supports students pursuing degrees and certificates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as well as those pursuing education degrees and certificates with a STEM focus. Nursing students are also eligible.
“The Choose Ohio First Program helps make an Ursuline education accessible to so many of our students from Northeast Ohio and beyond,” states Ursuline College President David King, EdD. “The recipients of these scholarships graduate to become some of the region’s most dedicated and talented nurses, scientists, and teachers.”
The funds will be utilized over a five-year period. Many of the scholarship recipients are the first in their families to attend college.
The Choose Ohio First scholarship program began in 2008 to increase the number of Ohio students enrolling in and successfully completing STEM programs at Ohio’s public and independent colleges and universities. The scholarships are part of the state’s focused strategy to strengthen Ohio’s talent pipeline in STEM occupations and related industries.
Ursuline was one of 46 colleges and universities across the state to receive COF funding as part of the state’s multi-year $32.5 million commitment to STEM scholarships. In a news release announcing the awards, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted stated, “As Ohio continues to attract new businesses and advance innovation, it's more critical than ever that we invest in keeping our talented students right here in the Buckeye State.”
Husted continued, “The Choose Ohio First program strengthens our commitment to preparing students for in-demand careers while ensuring that Ohio’s workforce remains competitive, dynamic, and ready to meet the needs of our growing economy.”
