Reps. Jarrells, Seitz Foster-to-College Scholarship Act to be Voted Out of the House this Afternoon

COLUMBUS - State Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Bill Seitz (R- Cincinnati) today announced that House Bill (HB) 164, the Foster-to-College Scholarship Act, will be heard on the floor of the House of Representatives today.

“I am hopeful that this bill will pass with overwhelming bipartisan support,” said Rep. Jarrells. “Ohio has the opportunity to provide foster kids with an avenue to pursue higher education goals they may not otherwise have had. This bill presents a great opportunity for us, as legislators, to demonstrate our commitment to creating the best version of our state for all our constituents.”

Several other states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama, currently offer scholarships to students who’ve gone through foster care. A study of Texas’ scholarship program showed that their foster students in the program were 3.5x as likely to complete their degree as their peer students. 

Research also shows that students who know they can pay for college are more likely to aspire to attend – and aspiring to attend college makes students more likely to keep their grades up and stay in school.

House Session is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm EST and can be viewed here.