Ohio’s Private Colleges and Universities Announce Summer Visit Days July 13 & 14

The University of Findlay is proud to announce that the institution is joining a statewide collaboration among Ohio’s private colleges and universities. The historic collaboration is beginning with a new summer program designed to allow families to visit up to four private schools over two days, July 13 and 14.
Ohio’s Independent College Visit Days are aimed at helping families understand how affordable a private college education can be. The days also highlight other benefits of attending a private college including a higher four-year graduation rate and lower default rate on student loans than peers nationally.
“This is an unprecedented effort and The University of Findlay is proud to be a part of it,” said Rebecca Butler, vice president for enrollment management at The University of Findlay. “We know that the quality of the experience that students have at private universities like ours proves transformational for students. We also know that many families fear they can’t afford us. The University of Findlay and all of our peers in the state want to tell Ohio’s families – YouCan!”
Families visiting two participating schools during the official Ohio Independent College Visit Days July 13 and 14 who document their visit on Instagram using #YOUCANVisitDays will be entered to win one of five $1,000 YouCan Awards.
Ohio joins a select number of states that are joining forces with competing peers to highlight access and affordability at private universities. Presidents and vice presidents of enrollment management at Ohio’s private institutions started this conversation a little less than a year ago in partnership with Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO), and leaders agreed that it was time to tell the story of affordability.
“Access and affordability is on our mind every day,” said Ed Recker, director of financial aid at UF. “We want families to understand the real cost of attending our school. We also want them to know that as a result of the smaller classes and personal attention they’ll get, they’ll see real results, like higher four-year graduation rates than other options in the state.”
Ohio’s private universities provided $1.25 billion in financial aid and scholarships to students in the 2013-14 school year, a 20 percent increase in just the last three years. And the cost of a private university is more affordable when you learn the facts: students who start at a private college are more likely to graduate from that school and they’re more likely to do so faster than at a public university. Private universities in Ohio have a 53 percent 4-year graduation rate, compared to 34 percent for state schools. In addition, borrowers from Ohio independents have a lower default rate on student loans than states schools – 6.9 percent compared to 12.8 percent.