Ohio State, Columbus State welcome Buckeye Bridge students to campus

An error occurred while preparing your download

Ohio State, Columbus State welcome Buckeye Bridge students to campus

New program offers a tuition-free path to finish a bachelor's degree

Dozens of students from Columbus State Community College are learning more about campus life at The Ohio State University as a new academic year is set to begin.

The students, members of the first cohort of the Buckeye Bridge initiative, filled a ballroom in the Ohio Union Monday evening to learn more about the university and the new program that offers a tuition-free path to finish their bachelor's degree.

Trevor Brown, Ohio State's interim executive vice president and provost, welcomed the students and encouraged them to build relationships on campus.

"Thank you for joining us on this journey," he said. "If I can give you one piece of advice, and you may hear this again, is find a way to get connected. … Hopefully you've got connections here with your classmates as you come from Columbus State, but you're going to find Ohio State to be big but incredibly welcoming."

Columbus State President David Harrison reminded the students that they share a bond with their peers.

"Look around the room, find somebody that you haven't met yet, connect with them," he said. "When you get on this campus, it's big, and it's fast-paced, and there's a lot going on. Having somebody there who's with you, who you know you can bond with, who you have a shared experience with, is something that's really important."

Students at the event learned about on-campus resources including recreational sports and wellness opportunities. They had a chance to ask questions about financial aid - and they learned from former Columbus State and Ohio State graduates.

Nearly 200 students are expected to participate in the Buckeye Bridge initiative. Low- to middle-income Ohioans who earn an associate degree from Columbus State will qualify for the new program at Ohio State, which will cover all tuition and mandatory fees - enabling more central Ohioans to earn their bachelor's degrees.

One of those students is Samauj Samuel, a Columbus native who will enter Ohio State in the fall after completing his associate degree at Columbus State. Samuel said his dream was always to attend both Ohio State and Columbus State, and the Buckeye Bridge program made that dream affordable.

He said it's a credit to both institutions that the program illustrates their commitment to access and affordability.

"When you see two institutions, Columbus State and Ohio State, actually go about it and actually do what they claim that they're about, it speaks a ton about … their commitment to furthering education for all different types of students," he said.

Brown let the Buckeye Bridge students know that the time and effort they invested in Columbus State and now Ohio State would be worth it.

"I can guarantee you, if you put the time in, you put in the effort, if you get connected, you're going to have a tremendous experience here," he said. "You're going to get a great education. You're going to be challenged, but you're also going to be included, and you're going to be welcomed. So congratulations. We're thrilled that you're here and we're looking forward to the next couple of years as you navigate this big, amazing, exciting place."

More Ohio State News