(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced that Ohio’s 37 public institutions of higher education may apply for their share of $5 million available in the Ohio Campus Safety Grant Program.
“Ohio continues to make investments to help protect our students and staff, whether they are in kindergarten or pursuing a graduate degree,” Gov. DeWine said. “Everyone should be able to learn in a safe, supportive environment so they can succeed both inside and outside the classroom.”
Today’s announcement follows last month’s award of $47 million via the K-12 School Safety Grant Program to more than 1,000 schools.
“Applications are now open for Ohio’s public colleges and universities,” said Chancellor Randy Gardner. “The Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) will work together on reviewing these applications, with a plan to announce the grant awards in October.”
To be eligible for grant funding, colleges and universities must conduct 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.
“These grants will help fund vital safety and security upgrades to assist campus law enforcement agencies and area first responders,” said Tom Stickrath, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS), which houses the OSSC.
To find grant guidelines, public institutions of higher education can go to https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/college-and-universities/2022-campus-safety-grant-program.
Governor DeWine created the Ohio School Safety Center in 2019. Housed within ODPS, the OSSC 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.
The Campus Safety Grant Program is one of two new school safety programs launched last year by the OSSC. The 2022 K-12 School Safety Grant Program, administered in partnership with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), awarded $47 million on Aug. 3, and an additional $53 million is available for both public and private schools to apply for this fall.