Unfortunately, many Ohioans believe that they don't need education beyond high school, that they aren't "college material," or that they can't afford college. But the truth is that nearly everyone, regardless of their financial situation, or academic track record, can pursue their college dreams with some assistance.

That's why the Ohio College Access Network's motto is "Ohio can go to college." It just takes the right amount of admissions advising, financial aid support, scholarships, and tutoring, which is what OCAN member programs provide.

Although the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN) member programs strive to help Ohioans secure financial aid for college, one of the main barriers to affordability is the level of funding Ohio devotes to higher education. Currently, Ohio is behind almost every other state in the level of financial assistance we provide to families who can't afford higher education. While most of us don't make an immediate connection between helping more Ohioans attend college and improving our state's economy, this connection has the potential to determine our state's future economy and, ultimately, the quality of our own lifestyles.

The numbers tell the story:

• Only a little over 2 in 10 adults in Ohio are college educated; this is nearly five percent below the national average.
• If our college education rate rose even that tiny five percent, approximately 497,430 families in Ohio would raise their incomes by an average of $43,764 a year (based on the 2000 census).
• The total impact to Ohio? Over $21.77 billion in taxable revenue.

The truth is that we literally cannot afford to fail to see the connection between Ohio's economy and our college enrollment rate. That's why OCAN helps Ohioans, and the state's economy, by helping economically struggling high school students and adults afford college, and stay enrolled, through student services. Learn about the results OCAN is already seeing in Our Work.