Higher Education is the future of Maryland. Maryland had a bachelor degree graduation rate of 64% for students over a course of six years. While this is far better then the national average, with Maryland quickly becoming the State leader is healthcare and the biosciences, as well as our general proximity to Washington DC, Maryland must do better to ensure that Marylanders are best prepared for the jobs of the future and to be sure that we can retain these individuals to help grow the future of our State. 

Access and Affordability. A quality College Education should be a right and a privledge attainable by all students in Maryland who want it. For many, however, it is simply out of reach due to the tremendous and oftimes highly fluctuating costs with reaching the pathway to a better quality of life. While we cannot realistically expect tuition rates to be frozen, a permanent funding source for Higher Education should be established to ensure that tution rates are predictable and forseeable so students and their families can plan accordingly.

A Focus on needed area.  In Maryland, we have shortages of pharmacists, nurses and many other professions. If we provide the resources to train people in these fields, we can solve this healthcare crisis as well as put our Higher Education system in a mentality to be ready for any future

Positive steps. In recent years, Maryland has gained a much stronger focus on Higher Education and on the need to ensure that our voices on this issue are heard. Governor O'Malley campaigned and won on the issue of Higher Education Access and Affordability and helped to freeze tution for 3 straight years, even under tough budgetary constraints. He, along with other Democratic leaders in our State has recognized the need to focus on Higher Education policy to make sure that it is once again a top priority in Maryland.

More work to be done. Despite steps in the right direction, Maryland has a long way to go.  We must work within all the Education systems in our State to ensure that students are well prepared for college coming out of High School. We must ensure that students are aware of the different resources to help them pay for school and we must work with the Democratic leadership in Washington DC to make sure that Higher Education grants and scholarships are available for all.