GOVERNOR, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TOUT MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, joined by legislators and business leaders, celebrated the success of Maryland’s higher education system and outlined the blueprint for the future. Building on the accomplishments from this term, the Maryland General Assembly is currently considering legislation to continue improvements in higher education into the future.

“Working together with the leaders of the General Assembly, we’ve made real progress to improve higher education in Maryland and make a college education accessible and affordable for more Maryland families rather than fewer,” said Governor O’Malley. “Even in difficult economic times, we’ve made the necessary investments to improve Maryland’s world class higher education system and open the doors of a college education to Maryland’s middle class. By providing additional stabilization guarantees for tuition in the future, families can better prepare for the costs of higher education, preventing the types of peaks and valleys that volatile economic times can create.”

One of the main goals for the State this past term has been to cement accessibility to higher education as a viable option for all Maryland residents. “In today's knowledge economy, a high quality, affordable and accessible higher education system is not a luxury, but rather a necessity. Our colleges and universities – as both hubs of learning and centers of discovery—drive our economy, provide opportunity to our citizens, and greatly enhance our quality of life,” said William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM).

In 2006, in response to a 40% tuition hike over four years, the General Assembly passed the Tuition Affordability Act to freeze tuition and created the Commission to Develop the Maryland Model for Funding Higher Education, chaired by Delegate John L. Bohanan, Jr. (commonly known as “The Bohanan Commission”). The Bohanan Commission, comprised of university presidents, private sector leaders, elected officials and educators across the State, created a 10 year blue print for funding the State’s higher education system and continue the development of a top-tier workforce in Maryland.

“Governor O’Malley and I have set ambitious goals to expand opportunity to more Marylanders, advance our diverse economy and create more jobs for our residents,” said Lt. Governor Brown, a member of the Bohanan Commission. “Our diverse and well-educated workforce is the key to our future competitiveness and that is why we choose to invest in our human capital during difficult economic times. I applaud the Commission’s work and look forward to working with partners in higher education, as well as the public and private sector, to maintain our strong commitment to building the nation’s strongest network of colleges and universities and maintaining the country’s most dynamic workforce.”

Governor O’Malley has introduced several pieces of legislation this session to continue the higher education gains for students across the State, which were based in part on recommendations of the Bohanan Commission:
· Tuition Stabilization (SB 283/HB 470) – This legislation designates a portion of the Higher Education Investment Fund to fund any tuition increase at 3% for next year.
· Educational Longitudinal Data System program in Maryland (SB275/HB 467) – This bill establishes a statewide data system to track student performance information from kindergarten through college. Maryland is pursuing a federal grant to implement the program.
· Codifying the P-20 Leadership Council (SB286/HB 466) – This legislation codifies the P-20 Council and adds four legislative members. The Council was created by Governor O’Malley in 2008 and will continue to focus on aligning pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education and ensuring that Maryland will produce and maintain a competitive workforce.

“In Maryland, we have continued to invest the majority of our resources in education because we recognize the importance of a high quality, well-educated workforce,” said Speaker Michael E. Busch. “I commend the work of the Administration, the legislature, and the Bohanan Commission for reinforcing the importance of ensuring that every child that wants to get a college education can get a college education.”

The O’Malley-Brown Administration and the General Assembly created the State’s first ever dedicated revenue source for higher education, the Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF), in 2007. The HEIF, along with a universal commitment and focus on the importance of higher education, has lead to an overall investment of $6.4 billion in operating support and over $1.1 billion in capital funding since fiscal year 2008.

“It doesn’t matter how much business services companies bring in, if they are unable to find the highly educated individuals to deliver on those commitments,” said Larry Letow, President of Convergence Technology Consulting, LLC and chair of the Bohanan Commission Capital Investment workgroup. “The State of Maryland has helped companies like us find talented individuals by developing a strong higher education system.”

Maryland is one of the most educated states in the nation, consistently ranking among the top for the number of residents with college and post-graduate degrees. Four Maryland institutions rank on Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges and six institutions rank among the best in US News & World Report.