Ohio Awards $5M for Higher Education Campus Security Upgrades

Ohio Awards $5M for Higher Education Campus Security Upgrades

Columbus, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that the state is awarding 27 institutions of higher education a total of $5 million in grants to fund security enhancements on their campuses.

The awarded funds are part of the 2021 Campus Safety Grant Program funded as part of Senate Bill 310 of the 133rd General Assembly. The Ohio School Safety Center reviewed the campus safety grant applications in consultation with the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and the Ohio Controlling Board approved the release of the funds today.

To be eligible for grant funding, schools conducted a security and vulnerability assessment to identify potential areas for improvement. Eligible expenses include but are not limited to improved lighting in parking lots, security cameras at building entrances, and secure doors.

The Campus Safety Grant Program is one of two new school safety programs launched by the Ohio School Safety Center this year. The 2021 K-12 School Safety Grant Program, administered in partnership with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), will award an additional $5 million to qualifying public K-12 schools for similar school safety expenses. Eligible school districts are being contacted by OFCC today via email. Grant applications will be accepted until November 1, 2021, with awardees being announced in early 2022. Additional information on the K-12 School Safety Grant Program is available at ofcc.ohio.gov.

DeWine created the Ohio School Safety Center in 2019. It is housed in the Ohio Homeland Security Division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and works to assist local schools, colleges and universities, and law enforcement agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.

Institutions of higher education receiving a grant are:

  • Bowling Green State University $102,964
  • Belmont College $50,000
  • Central Ohio Technical College $135,000
  • Central State University $231,750
  • Cincinnati State Technical and Community College $162,500
  • Columbus State Community College $160,000
  • Hocking College $104,000
  • Kent State University $210,400
  • Lakeland Community College $117,168
  • Lorain County Community College $155,350
  • Miami University $120,095
  • Northwest State Community College $174,779
  • Ohio University $168,770
  • Ohio State University $369,900
  • Owens Community College $102,800
  • Rhodes State College $161,200
  • Rio Grande Community College $185,446
  • Shawnee State University $153,998
  • Southern State Community College $149,500
  • Stark State College $170,100
  • Terra State Community College $224,783
  • University of Akron $430,000
  • University of Cincinnati $430,000
  • University of Toledo $205,330
  • Washington State Community College $316,719
  • Youngstown State University $118,528
  • Zane State College $88,920

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