Owens receives $1.16M to help aspiring students

Owens Community College has received a $1.16 million Educational Opportunities Center (EOC) program grant from the U.S. Department of Education to provide resources to adults interested in pursuing higher education but unsure where to begin. The five-year grant is intended to help unemployed workers, low-wage workers, and returning high school and college students enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. These resources are available to members of the northwest Ohio communities, regardless of which higher educational institution they choose to attend. Erica Parish, executive dean for academic affairs at Owens, said the intent is to help people prepare for college, in general. So, if a Hancock County resident actually wanted to attend Rhodes State College or the University of Findlay, Owens' EOC staff would still help them prepare to apply for admission and financial aid. Parish said this effort may lead to increased enrollment for Owens, "but that's not the goal." Rather, the goal is to help the community. Owens has campuses in both Findlay and Toledo. Parish said the grant will serve the region as a whole. "The EOC grant will allow Owens to further our commitment to making higher education accessible to the members of our community," Denise Smith, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, said in a press release. "Our goal is to assist adult students in their pursuit of continuing education or higher education by providing one-on-one support in obtaining their high school diploma or equivalent, connecting them with the college admissions application process and increasing their financial literacy and understanding of student financial aid options." The grant is $232,000 per year for five years, or $1.16 million total. Parish said the hope is that by the end of those five years, Owens will have helped people transition into careers that are meaningful to them, while also helping the area's economy. Parish described the process as starting with a conversation about what the prospective student wants to do and what their dreams are. Community members ages 19 and older are eligible. Parish explained that Owens does not want to compete with K-12 schools that are doing the same work. Educational Opportunities Centers are one of eight federal grant programs known as the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO), which are authorized by the Higher Education Act to help low-income, first-generation students and student with disabilities succeed in higher education.