Act Now! Support Governor McDonnell’s Plan for Reform-Based Investment in Virginia Higher Education
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! CLICK HERE to send an e-mail to your legislators!
Governor McDonnell’s 2012-2014 budget proposals will expand job and educational opportunities in Virginia through a reform-based investment of more than $100 million in the state’s colleges, universities and community colleges each of the next two years.
The McDonnell budget plan implements the landmark Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act (“Top Jobs” Act), which the General Assembly passed unanimously in 2011 – a blueprint for making Virginia a national and international leader in the knowledge-based economy by conferring 100,000 more college degrees on Virginia students over the next 15 years, especially in high-demand fields like science, technology, engineering, mathematics and healthcare.
Reversing a decade of state-level disinvestment that forced tuition sharply higher and limited opportunity, Governor McDonnell and Virginia’s bipartisan legislative leaders have made higher education a top priority again. Now is the time for the General Assembly to fulfill that promise by enacting the Governor’s biennial budget proposals, which will:
- expand affordable access to college for Virginia students, especially those from low- and middle-income families;
- promote job-creating research, economic development and workforce training initiatives;
- create strong incentives for cost-saving efficiency, technology-enhanced instruction, and improved graduation rates; and
- make Virginia a national and international leader in educational attainment and personal income growth, helping to secure a bright economic future for our Commonwealth and generations of young Virginians.
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! CLICK HERE to send an e-mail to your legislators urging them to support the Governor’s budget proposals for reform-based investment in higher education and affordable access to a high-impact college degree.
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Grow By Degrees: The Momentum Keeps Building
Grow By Degrees is a coalition of citizens, organizations, and civic, business and education leaders who support reform, innovation and investment in higher education. Thanks to Governor McDonnell and the Virginia General Assembly, Grow By Degrees achieved major successes in 2011:
- Unanimous passage of landmark higher education legislation called the “Top Jobs” Act (Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011)
- An initial (2012 fiscal year) investment of $100 million in job-creating higher education initiatives
Since 2009, our campaign has called attention to the crucial connection between having a college degree and getting a good job, and the corresponding connection between a state’s college-degree attainment and its level of income and economic growth. Now, through the “Top Jobs” Act, Virginia is leading the way in shaping a future of opportunity and prosperity in the knowledge-based global economy.
To retain Virginia’s top ranking as an engine of job creation and economic growth, sustained implementation of the “Top Jobs” program is essential.
Governor McDonnell’s proposed biennial state budget is the next step in the process of investing in Virginia’s future. Grow By Degrees supports the Governor’s proposals and is committed to ensuring that higher education remains a top state priority. It’s the way to make college more affordable and accessible, expand job opportunities for Virginia’s young people, and get our economy growing strongly again.
Keep the momentum building! Join Grow By Degrees by clicking here.
To send an e-mail to your legislators urging them to support the Governor’s higher education budget plan, click here.
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