In a survey released this morning by Scioto Analysis, 13 of 17 economists surveyed said that a merit based scholarship program for Ohio high school students who are in the top 5% of their class and attend Ohio colleges and universities could help combat brain drain in the state. The other 4 economists were uncertain, and none said that they disagreed.
Kathryn Wilson from Kent State commented “keeping high-achievement students in Ohio for college is a good way to increase the likelihood that they ultimately become workers in the Ohio workforce.”
Respondents who were uncertain about the impact of merit based scholarships pointed out that high school students at the top of their class might be eligible for other scholarships at more prestigious out of state universities. “I am not sure how much this would actually keep high-performing students in state for college. Out-of-state tuition is much higher so some will stay in state anyways, but these are all high-performing students who may get scholarships anyway. Furthermore, it is not clear that they would stay after college” wrote Curtis Reynolds from Kent State.
From an inequality lens, the economists are uncertain about the effects of merit based scholarships. On one hand, merit based scholarships based on high school grades might increase inequality, since performance in school is correlated with other indicators of inequality such as parents' education level.
However, as Kathryn Wilson pointed out in her comment “The award will go to those who graduate in the top 5% of their class, which includes the top 5% of students in lower-income school districts. While within any given school it is likely that the top 5% come from families with higher socioeconomic status, giving the scholarship across all the schools may not increase inequality as much as expected.”
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 40 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists.