Youngstown Early College survives state budget ax

By Harold Gwin

YOUNGSTOWN — There’s no money earmarked in the state’s new biennial budget for Ohio’s early college programs, but Youngstown Early College is safe — at least for the coming school year.

The Youngstown City School District and Youngstown State University, partners in the YEC project, say they have funds to cover the $600,000 in state money the program will lose this year.

YEC targets city high school students who might not have an opportunity to further their education beyond high school, giving them a chance to earn college credit while completing their high school education.

All classes are on the YSU campus, and, for the first time, YEC is opening its doors this fall to non-city students, offering 20 open enrollment slots that have been quickly filled.

Total enrollment will be 250.

The agreement between YSU and the city school district that set up the program calls for the school district to pick up 51 percent of the college-course tuition cost for YEC students while YSU covers the remaining 49 percent.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.