![Miami University鈥檚 four-year graduation rate ranks No. 1 among public universities in Ohio and No. 21 among public universities nationally. [Miami University]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8b04918/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F10%2F11%2FMiami.698716697_696360498.jpg)
Miami University is offering free tuition for one student from each of Ohio鈥檚 88 counties starting in the fall of 2020. And all the students have to do is apply.
The new Governor鈥檚 Scholarship does not involve any additional paperwork, said Bethany Perkins, Miami鈥檚 admissions director, but the priority deadline for applications for the 2020-21 school year is approaching.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want this to be something that is a barrier or extra in the application process. There is actually no additional application needed,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is not an extra box to check or anything. All we ask is that students complete their application and submit all of their documents by Dec. 1.鈥�
Merit and academic achievements will be the biggest factors in the awards, she said, but need will also be considered.
The scholarship is renewable for four years and it covers tuition and fees, which currently totals about $15,900 per year, according to Perkins.
The Oxford, Ohio, school has seen growth in applications in recent years even though Ohio鈥檚 overall graduation rate is declining. Perkins said, the new scholarship is not an effort to boost enrollment.
鈥淭his is because we still want to get everyone,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to miss one student who is potentially still self-selecting out 鈥� 鈥楳aybe I won鈥檛 get in鈥� or 鈥楳aybe if I do get in, I can鈥檛 afford it.鈥� We don鈥檛 believe that to be true necessarily for our top scholars. We have a lot of opportunities for them and this is our opportunity to say, 鈥楯ust apply鈥�.鈥�
