State of the State | A free year of college for some proposed by the governor

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland proposed a major education initiative that would permit qualified high school seniors the option of spending that last year of high school on a state college or university.

Those qualified would graduate high school and start college as a sophomore. Strickland said the program, called Seniors to Sophomores, could start as early as the fall semester.

The proposal and the free tuition aspect each received standing ovations today from the state Legislature at the governor’s second State of the State address today.

“Just think of the affect on a family’s budget,” he said.

Strickland didn’t mention the state’s cost for the program or which students would be eligible during the speech.