Urbana University is joining a statewide collaboration among Ohio’s private colleges and universities to provide college-funding information to students and their families.

The collaboration kicks off with a new summer program, Summer Visit Days, which will take place July 13-14. Summer Visit Days invites families to visit as many as four private universities in two days and highlights benefits of attending a private university, including higher four-year graduation rates and lower default rates on student loans than peers nationally.

Families who visit two or more universities during the two-day event and document their visits on Instagram using #YOUCANVisitDays will be entered to win one of five $1,000 YouCan Awards.

“Urbana is excited to be a partner in this unprecedented effort on behalf of Ohio’s independent colleges and universities. Access and affordability is on our mind every day,” said President George Lucas. “We want families to understand the real cost of attending our schools. We also want them to know the benefits of smaller classes and personal attention. Once students arrive on our campus, we show them that the dream of attending a private university can quickly become a reality.”

Presidents and vice presidents of enrollment management at Ohio’s private institutions started this conversation less than a year ago in partnership with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AICUO). Ohio’s private universities provided $1.25 billion in financial aid and scholarships to students during the 2013-14 school year – a 20 percent increase over the past three years.

To learn more about Ohio’s Independent College Week and to register, visit www.youcanohio.org/visitdays.