Dayton Business Journal: Wright State expands programs to ease financial barriers to higher education

Higher education can be an expensive barrier for many interested individuals, and Wright State University knows that.

To counteract this, the university has launched multiple opportunities for potential and current students in need to overcome that obstacle.

Wright State is one of the finalists for the Dayton Business Journal’s Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year.

Economically disadvantaged students, defined by Pell Grant eligibility for college students and free/reduced lunch for high school graduates, comprise roughly 38% of high school graduates and 36.8% of first-time college students, according to the 2024 Ohio Remediation Report from the Ohio Department of Education.

Wright State stands out as the only Ohio university to offer a financial assistance program of its size and design: Take Flight.

The program provides full in-state tuition coverage, up to 18 credit hours per semester, for eligible first-time, full-time Ohio-resident students attending Wright State’s Dayton campus. Students also receive a personal laptop, an annual $100 textbook voucher and wraparound support through a dedicated success team that includes an academic advisor, peer navigator and career consultant.

Wright State has partnered directly with Meadowdale High School, Belmont High School and Jefferson Township High School – three schools serving predominantly underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities in the Dayton region.

“Take Flight offers students a clear, guided, and fully funded pathway from high school to college, with early outreach, mentorship and individualized support that continues through graduation,”  said Daniel Palmer, Wright State’s director of government affairs and secretary to the board of trustees. “These direct-to-college linkages make Take Flight not just a financial assistance program, but a community-based access strategy with measurable impact.”

To further alleviate financial concerns for younger students, the university previously awarded 12 full-ride scholarships to K-8 students through the Dayton Hoopla STEM Challenge, with plans for continued support in the future.

The school also has multiple initiatives dedicated to supporting the needs of military-affiliated students at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Wright State offers two key scholarships for military personnel and their families at the base.

Its Active Duty Military Undergraduate Scholarship covers tuition and fees for up to 18 credit hours per semester, or $5,000 annually, for active-duty undergraduates, bridging the gap between military Tuition Assistance and actual costs.

For those looking to pursue graduate studies, the university’s WPAFB Graduate School Scholarship provides up to $6,000 annually for full-time graduate study to active-duty military, civilian personnel, reservists and their dependents.

“[These] are not symbolic gestures,” said Palmer. “They are strategic investments that reflect our belief in the power of access and opportunity. Everything we do is designed with one goal in mind: student success.

Read the article at bizjournals.com/dayton.