L ast week, President Lester Lefton released the findings of a university study that sought to measure how much money Kent State adds to the local economy.

The results said the university brings $1.96 billion annually to Northeast Ohio, which Lefton said proves Kent State is a “leading business enterprise” in the region.

We agree with that. You can’t argue with billions of dollars and thousands of jobs, which is what the university provides for Northeast Ohio.

But the question amid all this is what Kent State students provide for the region.

The results of the study did say that non-local students and visitors to the university spend $64 million per year in the region. That’s also a significant number, and it’s one we should attempt to increase as much as we can.

We’re not saying that students should go out and spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need. However, we should attempt to help out the region where we go to school as much as we can.

It’s no secret that Ohio is struggling through this recent economic recession — perhaps to a higher extent than a lot of other states. Northeast Ohio has been especially hard-hit by the crisis.

With that in mind, it’s important we do our part to help the local economy as much as we can.

It doesn’t have to be much. It’s as easy as going to a local store and spending $5 every week, or every two weeks, even. Without student income, local stores and restaurants would struggle to make a profit — or even break even. Some would inevitably close, making Kent a less attractive place to spend your time.

According to the study’s results, Kent State graduates will receive an average of $1.1 million more in their lifetimes than someone with just a high school diploma. The study also said that on average, students will receive $4.80 for every dollar they spend in Kent State tuition.

Those are some pretty significant figures, too. They show going to college in Northeast Ohio does a lot to help us in the long run — so why shouldn’t we help Northeast Ohio in return?

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.