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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2001

News Release

NEA Report Links Quality Higher Education to Economic Health

Washington, D.C. - Maintaining a first-rate state higher education system is critical to bringing in and keeping high-paying jobs, according to a report commissioned and released by the National Education Association today.

The report, titled "Where We Go From Here: State Legislative Views on Higher Education in the New Millennium," is based on interviews with 64 state legislators representing all 50 states. The legislators serve on education committees in their states.

The report states that even though legislators understand the importance of higher education institutions to the economic viability of their states, colleges and universities are often among the first budget items to have funding cut when budgets get tight.

"What this report shows is what we've known in the education community all along - higher education faculty members make important contributions to the financial health of their state," said NEA President Bob Chase. "Their work directly contributes to the economic stability of our states and our nation. As the economy starts to slow down, I urge all of our political leaders to remember how indispensable our higher education faculty are to reviving the economy."

Legislators also credited higher education institutions with state efforts to grow their own workforce, and avoid a "brain drain" in which state residents move to other states for higher-paying jobs. Because of the potential for research alliances, a well-regarded research university can serve as an incentive for the location or relocation of high-tech industries, they said. Higher education institutions also contribute to retaining businesses by providing relevant continuing education and training.

"Almost without exception, the legislators I talked to emphasized that higher education contributes directly to the state's efforts to have a healthy economy," said Sandra Ruppert, the researcher with Educational Systems Research who conducted the report for the NEA.

Other findings in the report include:

• Public two-year institutions are considered to be the most responsive overall to state education and training needs, legislators said.
• While legislators support the targeting of funds for adding or expanding degree programs in fields where there is a shortage of workers, they don't think getting a high-paying job should be the only reason for attending a college or university.
• Nearly all of the legislators interviewed for the study made reference to higher education's critical role in preparing, training and supporting highly-qualified education professionals for K-12 schools.
• Although legislators continue to look to technology to increase access, they've learned that providing these services isn't cheap.
• Creating new faculty positions and raising faculty salaries were among the legislators' most important legislative priorities. However, they conceded that budget tightening could mean that other projects would take precedence.
• Legislators said that they spend more time dealing with the rising cost of college than they do discussing any other higher education issue.
• Although necessary, financial aid used to moderate the impact of high tuition is considered a "band-aid" by many legislators. They said financial aid programs do little to address the larger problem of continually rising prices.
• Due to a clash of values over how and whom should receive aid for college, state legislators are struggling with the issue of using financial aid to recruit the most desirable students or provide aid to assist the neediest students. The debate is becoming more intense as the economy continues to slow and state budget tighten.

"Where We Go From Here" is the third report the NEA has commissioned in which state-level decision-makers discuss their thoughts on higher education. To receive a copy of the report visit http://www.nea.org/he/leg-news/gofrom.pdf. To schedule an interview with Sandra Ruppert, contact Denise Cardinal at NEA Communications, (202) 822-7239 or send an email to dcardinal@nea.org.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.