The chancellor of higher education shall establish a competitive process for making awards under the Ohio co-op/internship program. The chancellor, on completion of that process, shall make a recommendation to the controlling board asking for approval of each award selected by the chancellor.

The state institution of higher education shall submit a proposal and other documentation required by the chancellor, in the form and manner prescribed by the chancellor, for each award it seeks. A proposal may propose an initiative to be implemented solely by the state institution of higher education or in collaboration with other state institutions of higher education or nonpublic Ohio universities or colleges.

The chancellor shall determine which proposals will receive awards each fiscal year, and the amount of each award, on the basis of the merit of each proposal, which the chancellor, subject to approval by the controlling board, shall determine based on one or more of the following criteria:

(A) The extent to which the proposal will keep Ohio students in Ohio institutions of higher education;

(B) The extent to which the proposal will attract Ohio residents who left Ohio to attend out-of-state institutions of higher education to return to Ohio institutions of higher education;

(C) The extent to which the proposal will increase the number of Ohio graduates who remain in Ohio and enter Ohio's workforce;

(D) The quality of the program that is the subject of the proposal and the extent to which additional resources will enhance its quality;

(E) The extent to which the proposal is integrated with the strengths of the regional economy;

(F) The extent to which the proposal supports the workforce policies of the governor's office of workforce transformation to meet the workforce needs of the state and to provide a student participating in the program with the skills needed for workplace success;

(G) The extent to which the proposal facilitates the development of high quality academic programs with a cooperative education program or a significant internship program at state institutions of higher education;

(H) The extent to which the proposal is integrated with supporting private companies to fill potential job growth, is responsive to the needs of employers, aligns with the skills identified by employers as necessary to fill high-demand job openings, particularly job openings in targeted industry sectors as identified by the governor's office of workforce transformation;

(I) The amount of other institutional, public, or private resources, whether monetary or nonmonetary, the proposal pledges to leverage that are in addition to the monetary cost-sharing requirement prescribed in section 3333.74 of the Revised Code;

(J) The extent to which the proposal is collaborative with other Ohio institutions of higher education;

(K) The extent to which the proposal is integrated with the institution's mission;

(L) The extent to which the proposal meets a statewide educational need at the undergraduate or graduate level;

(M) The demonstrated productivity or future capacity of the students to be recruited;

(N) The extent to which the proposal will create additional capacity in a high quality academic program with a cooperative education program or significant internship program;

(O) The extent to which the proposal will encourage students who received degrees from two-year institutions to pursue baccalaureate degrees;

(P) The extent to which the proposal facilitates the completion of a baccalaureate degree in a cost-effective manner;

(Q) The extent to which other institutional, public, or private resources that are pledged to the proposal, in addition to the monetary cost-sharing requirement prescribed in section 3333.74 of the Revised Code, will be deployed to assist in sustaining the academic program of excellence;

(R) The extent to which the proposal increases the likelihood that students will successfully complete their degree programs or certificate programs;

(S) The extent to which the proposal ensures that a student participating in the high quality academic program funded by the Ohio co-op/internship program is appropriately qualified and prepared to successfully transition into professions in Ohio's growing companies and industries.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Effective Date: 2008 HB554 (vetoed provisions) 09-12-2008