University System of Ohio Opportunities

Ohio Co-operative Education and Internship Program

Ohio Co-op and Intership Program Frequently Asked Questions

Who will make up the panel of reviewers?

Section 1.2.8 in the RFP states that the "chancellor will use external reviewers who are expert in co-ops and internships and who are not affiliated with potential applicant institutions." These reviewers will analyze each proposal based on the scoring criteria defined in the RFP and report their findings to the chancellor. The reviewers will be experts in the field of experiential learning, co-ops and internships.

Which institutions are state supported and which are independent?

Ohio Revised Code Sec. 3345.011 states that a "state institution of higher education means any state university or college as defined in division (A)(1) of section 3345.12 of the Revised Code, community college, state community college, university branch established under Chapter 3355 of the Revised Code, or technical college." The following is a list of the state institutions of higher education that qualify as "state supported."

Community Colleges

Universitites

Are Adult Career centers able to participate? If so, how?

Yes. They are strongly encouraged to partner with eligible lead organizations.

Are previously existing co-ops and internships eligible for funding or do they have to be newly created positions?

State funds may be used only for new co-op or internship opportunities or to fund work activity not being done before the RFP was released.

Who can apply for funding as a Lead Applicant?

The Lead Applicant must be a state supported institution or under certain circumstances an independent, non-profit college or university. State supported institutions are those listed in questions two and include universities, community colleges and technical colleges. Independent non-profit institutions must work in partnership with a state supported institution in order to serve as a Lead or Co-Lead applicant.

Must the Lead Applicant  be a University?

No.

Who is responsible for meeting the match requirements for state funding? Is it the Lead Applicants responsibility or is there a certain percentage that must come from each of the program's partners?

The amount of matching requirements for state funds can be met by any combination of funding from the Lead/Co-lead applicants and collaborators. The only requirement is that the state funds are matched at the ratio of 1:1 private to state and 1.5:1 for graduate students. In the case of programs which combine graduate and undergraduate programs, the match should be prorated to reflect the percentages of graduate and undergraduate students.

Who is responsible for meeting the match requirements for state funding? Is it the Lead Applicants responsibility or is there a certain percentage that must come from each of the program's partners?

The amount of matching requirements for state funds can be met by any combination of funding from the Lead/Co-lead applicants and collaborators. The only requirement is that the state funds are matched at the ratio of 1:1 private to state and 1.5:1 for graduate students. In the case of programs which combine graduate and undergraduate programs, the match should be prorated to reflect the percentages of graduate and undergraduate students.

Is the $10 million allotment for the High Impact Grant the total amount for five years or is it a yearly amount?

Recipients of the High Impact Grant can receive up to $10 million during the 2010 fiscal year. No decision has been made about funding high impact grant recipients beyond the 2010 fiscal year. While renewed funds may be available, applicants should not assume that high impact grants will renew.

When will funds be available?

Funds will be available at the start of the 2010 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009.

Is there any limit on the number of businesses collaborators or other partnerships that can be added to a proposal?

No. There is no limit on the number of collaborators per proposal.

When is the earliest that a co-op and internship program can be created in order to be considered for funding under this RFP?

There is no such date since existing co-op and internship programs are eligible to apply for expansion funds. State funds may be used to pay for activity which begins no sooner than the release date for this RFP, but state funds will only pay for that portion of the new activity which occurs on or after July 1, 2009 or the date on which the Controlling Board approves the project (whichever one is later). 

In an established co-op program, if an employer agrees to increase the number of positions funded, would these count as "new" co-ops, or must new co-ops be associated with "new" employment?

An increase in the number of positions from an employer already affiliated with an existing co-op program is considered "new". Therefore state funding may be used to support such positions.

The "Sustainability" language (in 3.4), regarding use of State funds for support for student-employees, says that "preference will be given to proposals that limit the duration of such subsidies, minimize the percentage of such subsidies, or minimize the numbers of students for whom subsidies will be paid." Can you identify an upper limit level of subsidization, or an upper limit for the percentage of an entire budget which can be used for subsidization, that proposers can use as a “bright line” to let them avoid any risk of being placed in the “not preferred” category?

We are open to proposals that make a compelling case for wage subsidies of any size. The language cited in the question exists to clarify that such subsidization should be accompanied by a clear and compelling logic that makes the case for the subsidy -- for the size of the subsidy, the duration of the subsidy and the extent of the subsidy.

The size and scope of wage subsidies should be strategic meaning they are used in ways that fit the needs of the community and the specific business in question. Further, the RFP is flexible enough that wage subsidies may be structured in different ways for different types of businesses or different business circumstances.

Use of wage subsidies should bear in mind the need to meet the statutory match. Since wages paid by employers may be counted toward a project’s local match, a 100 percent wage subsidy would likely make most projects fall far short of the required match. A balance is in order given the clear direction the statute provides in terms of the need for programs to leverage non-state dollars.

The RFP explicitly references the current economic situation and the impact it is having on Ohio businesses. A compelling case could certainly be made that, for many businesses, a temporary wage subsidy might be in order. We recognize that the economic situation will make many businesses reluctant to commit to participating in co-op and internship programs. Programs should work with these businesses to fully understand the kinds of incentives, including wage subsidies, that might encourage them to participate.