Ohio Bill Proposes New Tax To Fund Free College Tuition—Who Would Pay?
Summary
Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill to provide free tuition at public universities for in-state students. The plan would fund this by adding a new tax on people earning over $500,000 a year.Key Facts
- Ohio House Bill 854 aims to make tuition free for up to eight semesters at all 14 public universities in Ohio.
- The bill proposes a new income tax on individuals, trusts, and estates with yearly income over $500,000.
- Income between $500,000 and $1 million would be taxed at 5.375% above the threshold, and income over $1 million taxed at 7.375%.
- The bill would create an Ohio Free College Fund managed by the Ohio Chancellor of Higher Education.
- Ohio’s in-state tuition averages $10,922 per year, higher than the national average of $9,750.
- No state currently offers fully free tuition for all in-state students without income or academic limits.
- Other states have scholarship programs with income or academic eligibility limits for free tuition, like New York and Massachusetts.
- Supporters say the bill aims to reduce student debt and make higher education more accessible for Ohio families.
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