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OCSEA member Charael Valentine says that the upcoming increase in the Union Education Trust’s benefits will make a big difference paying for her nursing classes.
“It’s a big jump. It’s amazing,” Valentine said. “It will mean a lot.”
Valentine, an employee at Northwest Ohio Developmental Center who has used her UET benefits to earn her LPN and is now studying for her RN, is still paying off her tuition costs from the spring. That balance is holding her up from registering for fall classes at Hondros College of Nursing.
“I was kind of short on my last semester, so I had to pay out of pocket,” Valentine said. “With UET going up, it will help me a lot.”
Beginning next month, eligible state bargaining unit members will have a total of $8,000 in UET benefits each year. The UET’s Trustees have approved a $1,750 increase in the UET benefits, beginning with the new fiscal year on July 1, 2024, to offset the rising cost of education. The Trustees’ goal is to make continuing education accessible and affordable to eligible bargaining unit employees. For members like Valentine that means less debt.
“UET is an opportunity for our union members,” said UET Trustee Sherry Little. “Go to school, take courses, get credits for degrees! I really hope that our members take advantage of it when they see the increase.”
The new benefits are:
While CIP was last increased in 2019 by $500, it’s been longer for PE which was last increased by $500 in 2017. CAT has never been increased previously.
“The cost of education has increased. The need for people to get an education and a degree has increased,” UET Trustee Nachael Church said. “This is a morale-booster. The union is doing something. So, we are increasing the benefit not only for economic reasons but morale reasons too.”
Church pointed out that unlike other educational benefits programs, there are no extra stipulations for using UET benefits. UET can be used for a variety of types of training offered by an accredited educational provider.
“Go and get your education; go and improve your life. We have those funds: Go get the computer training. We have those options and we’re expanding it,” she said, pointing out that the increased funding will aid participants getting their educational goals completed faster with less debt.
“That’s why I feel as if we should increase it. We don’t put stipulations on it – and we won’t. We’ve made it easy for our members,” Church said.
Valentine has used UET to get promoted from a Therapeutic Program Worker to a Nurse, which benefits both her and the state.
“I like caregiving. My passion is to care for people. I wanted to move up to be the difference that I wanted to see,” Valentine said. “[UET] helped me move up in my job and that’s really nice.”
The increase in the UET benefits will make it easier for eligible state bargaining unit members like Valentine to continue their education or training. UET participants can now take additional courses, classes, and trainings.
“This is very beneficial to our members. We have to be competitive with everything else that is increasing, and education costs are definitely increasing,” Little said. “Just like food and gas prices have increased, this increase in benefits is paying for fuel for your mind.”
“UET has given members the opportunity to grab a hold of the courses that are beneficial to them,” she added. “The increased funds mean they won’t be as stressed. The assistance is there for you.”
There is no question that education costs have risen dramatically in the last two decades: According to Brookings.edu, “At four-year public and private institutions, the total cost of attendance almost tripled between 1979-80 and 2020-21, accounting for inflation.”
As daily living costs increase due to inflation, it is challenging to have the funding needed for going back to school. However, the situation is worse than that: Most economic sources report that continuing education costs are outpacing inflation. Forbes reported in 2020 that “Over the past two decades, published college tuition has increased in price more than any other good or service besides hospital care. Tuition inflation has risen at a faster rate than the cost of medical services, child care, and housing.”
SoFi confirmed that in March 2024: “widely cited statistics have consistently shown college tuition rising faster than inflation.”
UET participants will not only gain additional training and employment security as a result of the increase in benefits. “Knowledge is power. The more we teach our people, the stronger we are as a union,” Church said. “If we assist our members in getting educated, it’s harder for us to fail.”