Tri-C’s Angela Johnson on Exploring Affordable Education Options

VP of Access and Completion speaks with Cleveland Jewish News about the different ways incoming students can reduce the cost of a college education

When incoming students think about ways to manage the cost of a college education, federal financial aid programs usually come to mind first.

While those programs do provide financial aid for thousands of students every year, Cuyahoga Community College’s Angela Johnson notes that the steps students can take to limit college costs aren’t limited to filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Johnson, the College’s vice president of Access and Completion, recently spoke with the Cleveland Jewish News about the ways in which Tri-C works with new students to help them explore different cost-saving options for which they might be eligible.

“Once students are admitted, we send them information about how to apply for financial aid and scholarships, and we also provide information about the average financial aid award that students receive,” Johnson told the Cleveland Jewish News. “This is because it’s important for students to understand what they could receive from a scholarship.”

Johnson added that attending Tri-C can be a form of cost savings in and of itself. Tri-C has the lowest community college tuition in Ohio, and many credits transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

Four-year schools are taking their own steps to limit the cost of education. The article also includes comments from Rachel Schmidt, director of financial aid at Cleveland State University.

“It is a responsibility for all institutions to be cognizant of what their students go through. We do a lot of work to get you here and support you academically, but there are so many things that can financially throw you off track,” Schmidt said in the article. “Universities need to be able to recognize the whole student and make these options available with no stigma.”

June 10, 2019

Erik Cassano, 216-987-3577 or erik.cassano@tri-c.edu