Enrolling students is not the difficult part of operating a college or university. Getting them off campus with degrees in their hands is the tougher challenge.
Gov. John Kasich has told leaders of state institutions of higher learning graduation rates, rather than enrollment, may be the primary criteria for deciding how much state aid colleges and universities receive, beginning next year. He has gone as far as telling university presidents to propose a new state aid formula by Thanksgiving.
Kasich is right. While graduation rates are not the only statistic he and lawmakers should use to set state aid, insisting on results in exchange for support from taxpayers is an excellent idea.
