(North Canton, OH – August 2, 2022) Stark State College is part of the Ohio College Comeback Compact, an innovative program to help students who left college without a degree continue their education.

In collaboration with seven public colleges and universities in Northeast Ohio, Stark State is reaching out to students who had to stop attending school because they owe money to their former college or university. Together, the participants of Ohio College Comeback Compact are providing a path back to higher education and an opportunity for these students to reduce or eliminate their debt.

The program is open to eligible students who previously attended any of the eight participating institutions, have been out of college at least a year, maintained a 2.0 cumulative GPA before they left, and owe the institution $5,000 or less.

“Stark State College is proud to be a part of the Ohio College Comeback Compact,” said President Para M. Jones, PhD. “Students are forced to disrupt their education for a wide varity of reasons. Our goal is to remove barriers and help students succeed in college and in their careers, and this program will help support those who wish to return and pick up where they left off.”

Stark State joins Ohio College Comeback participants Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Lorain County Community College, The University of Akron and Youngstown State University.

Qualifying students can register for classes at any of these institutions. As they make progress toward a degree or certificate, they can get up to $5,000 in debt owed to their former college or university forgiven.

To learn more about the program and to check eligibility, visit the Compact’s website at https://ohiocollegecomeback.org.