Executive Summary
Central State University is the smallest public
university in the state of Ohio. This small size results
in high costs per student, a disadvantaged position
for state funding and consequent financial difficulties.
To counter the institution’s financial challenges, the
state provides an annual supplement beyond earned
state instructional subsidy. The key to offsetting Central
State University’s financial difficulties is to increase
its enrollment so that the institution can reach a scale
where the necessity for a supplement is removed.
The Board of Regents, Central State University
and five participating state institutions have
developed a plan, called Speed to Scale, to
increase the size of Central State University
from 1,800 to 6,000 students by 2017. The plan
includes a one-time investment from the state
over a period of three years and an extensive
set of partnerships with the participating
institutions.
With the plan, the university’s supplement
will begin to decline starting in FY 2011 and
by FY 2017 it will drop to zero. Over the decade from FY 2007 to FY 2017,
$54 million will be realized in reduced supplement cost. These funds will be
redirected to programs across the state that educate additional students who
will promote the state’s economic growth.
The successful completion of the plan will allow Central State University to
more successfully fulfill its higher education access mission for underserved
Ohio students, increase the number of Ohioans with a baccalaureate degree
and remove the necessity for the annual supplement by 2017.
