Democrat Ed FitzGerald’s plan includes restoring need-based college funding programs that were in place before Republican Gov. John Kasich took office.
FitzGerald also wants to establish a college savings account for every kindergartner in the state. FitzGerald said he’s already doing that in Cuyahoga County where he serves as the executive.
"It is certainly not a panacea," FitzGerald said. "It doesn’t mean that all of a sudden, all four years of college are going to be paid for. But every little bit helps."
Chris Schrimpf with the Ohio Republican Party said under Kasich, tuition increases have been slowed considerably or have been frozen. And he said Kasich has made it easier for high schoolers get more credits for advanced placement classes when going to college.
"Ed FitzGerald’s problem is that he keeps throwing out ideas with big price tags and no way to pay for them," Shcrimpf said.
Schrimpf said FitzGerald would have to raise taxes to finance his plan. FitzGerald said that’s not true. He said he’d make higher education a priority in the state budget and would fund it first.
