Should Ohio offer incentives to keep college graduates from leaving Ohio?

State Reps. Jon Cross, a Hardin County Republican, and Sedrick Denson, a Cincinnati-area Democrat, want to “GROW Ohio” through a bill of that name — the Graduating and Retaining Ohio’s Workforce (GROW) Ohio Act they introduced in mid-December. The bill would provide numerous incentives and inducements, both monetarily and through workforce opportunities, to keep more graduating Ohio college students in Ohio and make it easier for out-of-state students to establish residency to qualify for extra benefits.

The bill was introduced Dec. 17 with enthusiastic plaudits from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Ohio college presidents, including Ohio State University President Kristina Johnson, who called it “important and catalytic legislation.” University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto and University of Akron President Gary Miller also praised the bill. Miller said he’d worked in higher education for more than three decades, including in California and Kansas, yet, “I don’t know if I’ve seen legislation quite this directly innovative toward higher education.”

How big is the college brain drain out of Ohio? According to Cross and others, it’s huge.

“Depending on the university, between 10% and 40% of graduates are leaving the state to pursue jobs and lives elsewhere,” reported Jessie Balmert of The Cincinnati Enquirer, who covered the unveiling of the bill. “They are taking their skills and incomes out of the state.”

House Bill 514 would seek to retain those fleeing brains through various means, including:

* Fully refundable Ohio income-tax payments for three years for students who take an in-state job.

* Merit scholarships for STEM majors that convert to a forgivable loan if the recipient stays in Ohio one year after graduation.

* A 30% refundable credit to Ohio employers for wages paid to college students in internships, apprenticeships or co-ops.

* An additional Ohio College Opportunity Grant for students with associate degrees who want to go on to get a bachelor’s degree in Ohio.

The bill hasn’t been assigned to a committee yet, nor have nonpartisan legislative analysts yet estimated its fiscal impacts. Critics argue that Ohio might want to look instead at legislative actions that alienate educated young people who might otherwise want to live and work in Ohio, including the failure to enact full LBGTQ protections and the state’s increasingly punitive abortion restrictions.

Still, the bipartisan bill has been praised by the state’s business and collegiate community. Is it cutting-edge or at least wise — and needed? Our Editorial Board Roundtable offers its thoughts on the idea and the bill.

Leila Atassi, manager public interest and advocacy:

I attended college in Ohio. Of my five closest friends from those days, only one remains here. We lost a dentist, a nurse, a higher-ed administrator and a licensed therapist to neighboring states. I can’t help but think they might have chosen to sink roots in Ohio had House Bill 514′s incentives been available to them back then.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

Sorry, I’ve got no enthusiasm for begging young 20-somethings to stick around by bribing them and their employers, and stepping away from our long-held beliefs and standards. Let them go elsewhere to seek their fortunes. Then, when they get tired of the high taxes, liberal nonsense and water shortages, they can return to raise their families in a sane atmosphere.

Eric Foster, columnist:

Offering no income tax is not unique. Several states (including Florida and Texas) already offer that to everyone. I would think that a nonresident student in the top 5% of her class who came to Ohio came already armed with a scholarship. If the legislature is really serious about this, they must figure out how to subsidize student loan payments.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

Can this be the bill that finally gets bipartisan support in our fractured legislature? With our declining and rapidly aging population, incentives to keep highly educated graduates in-state should be a no-brainer for lawmakers who want to attract economic powerhouses like Intel. But graduates won’t stay beyond their commitments unless Ohio gets serious about welcoming diversity and tackling climate change.

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:

I think that this is good but not enough. Ohio’s one-sided politics and huge disparities in educational and social opportunities make it a tough sell. We might get some short-term wins with this, but nothing that has long-term impact. What we need are progressive policies that make it possible for all to thrive and live well.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

The bill’s goals are admirable. But incentives to keep college graduates in Ohio must speak directly to their reasons for leaving. For example, if they flee Ohio for bigger job markets or more competitive salaries and benefits, income-tax exemptions and loan forgiveness probably won’t keep them here. Additionally, the program’s cost to Ohio taxpayers may be a mitigating factor.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

The loss of 10% to 40% of Ohio college graduates to other states is a jaw-dropping figure, representing a huge hit to the state’s higher-education investments. Trying to stem this tide with a wise suite of incentives is an appealing approach.

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* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial board roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at [email protected].