Tonight, Ohio Governor John Kasich gives his State of the State address — an opportunity for him to renew his vow to turn the state economy around. He should start by committing to reinvest in higher education.

So far, the Governor has not broached this topic in previewing his address. In sharing his vision for education reform, he mentions his desire to shift the funding structure for K-12 public schools, rather than confront the affordability crisis facing college students.

College students across the state are prepared to lobby state legislatures tomorrow to demand that investment in higher education return to pre-Recession levels — and a commitment from the Governor to address this issue would go a long way.

We recently graded every state nationwide, based on its investment in higher education, and Ohio received an “F.”  Ohio lawmakers have slashed funding for higher education by 10 percent since the Great Recession. Many of those years were on the Governor’s watch.

Over that same time period, the burden of paying for college shifted from the state to students and their families. Buckeye State families and students shoulder 62 percent of the cost to educate young Ohioans. That’s an increase of 15 percent since the Great Recession.

Even five years out of the Great Recession, it was clear that higher education was not a priority in Ohio. In 2013, Ohio lawmakers spent less than 5 percent of their budget on higher education, which was 14 percent less than four years ago.

At Young Invincibles, we know that higher education investment is key to the long-term financial security of students — and state economies.

Tomorrow, college students from across Ohio will lobby state legislators to return higher education funding to pre-Recession levels, and we urge the Governor to support this effort.

When young adults aren’t prepared for the workforce, everyone else pays the price. Last year, youth unemployment cost the country $25 billion in lost income taxes and Millennial unemployment in Ohio contributed to this hefty price tag.

Surely Ohio would rather see revenue within its borders to turn the state around as the Governor has called for — and give its young people the opportunity to succeed.