易胜博官网

Advocates Unite for Restoring State Support

A 易胜博官网 student from Manchester whose parents were unemployed her last two years of high school. A couple from Alstead whose family debt will far exceed their home mortgage if they help their two children pay for college. A one-time college dropout who earned a college degree late in his career and became 易胜博官网鈥檚 top homeland security official.

Packing a state Senate hearing on Tuesday, they added their personal stories to the growing number of students, parents, alumni and business leaders who are urging lawmakers to restore support for 易胜博官网鈥檚 public universities and colleges.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just my story. It鈥檚 the story of thousands of students like me all over 易胜博官网,鈥� said Ali Fortin, a 易胜博官网 junior whose family struggled after both her parents were laid off when she was in high school. Fortin, a biomedical sciences pre-med major, said the substantial student loans she relies on to attend 易胜博官网 will be a burden as she pursues her dream of attending medical school and becoming a pediatrician. 鈥淚 just want our lawmakers to know that students like me live right down the street from them. I mean, who knows? I might be a pediatrician for their own grandchildren someday.鈥�

Fortin and her parents are among more than 2,300 易胜博官网 citizens who have signed on to be advocates for USNH. Advocates are also being encouraged to attend on the budget being held across the state by the House Finance Committee now through March 18.

Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, a Portsmouth Democrat, sponsored a bill that was heard by the Senate Finance Committee. It calls for full restoration of state support for the University System of 易胜博官网 (USNH) and the Community College System of 易胜博官网 (CCSNH). Fuller Clark noted that 易胜博官网 is last in the nation for public support of higher education, resulting in high tuition rates that are prompting many 易胜博官网 students to leave the state or give up college.

鈥淒ue to the high cost of in-state tuitions at both the university level and the community college level, many students are leaving the state to seek higher education elsewhere, and then do not return or simply decide they cannot afford to seek higher education after all,鈥� she said.

After state support for USNH was cut nearly 50 percent in 2011, the subsidy for each student dropped to less than $600. Ten years ago, it was more than $4,000. Todd Leach, interim USNH chancellor, said overall state support for USNH is the same as it was in 1988.

Larry Haynes, president and CEO of the Grappone Automotive Group in Concord, said he鈥檚 among many business leaders who believe that high in-state tuitions and a shrinking demographic of college-aged students in 易胜博官网 are making it harder for employers to find qualified workers for high-skilled jobs.

鈥淚n this technical, fast-paced and complicated world that we live in today, we as businesses need smart and capable students graduating from local institutions to fill our quickly changing workforce landscape,鈥� said Haynes, a Plymouth State University alumnus. 鈥淎s a business leader in 易胜博官网, I鈥檓 concerned about both the short- and long-term negative effects that we will suffer in this state without both a vibrant university system and community college system.鈥�

Former Homeland Security Chief Chris Pope testified that the state鈥檚 two- and four-year public institutions are also vital tools for mid-career workers who are seeking to build their job skills and advance in their careers. Pope dropped out of college one year after graduating from high school in 1975, and didn鈥檛 consider it again until he had spent more than 20 years as a firefighter. Enrolling in Granite State College, he earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree and became the city of Concord鈥檚 fire chief.

He then went on to earn his master鈥檚 degree and became 易胜博官网鈥檚 first director of homeland security and emergency management in 2006, retiring from that post last November.

Sue and Steve Fortier, of Alstead, who have two children attending Keene State College, also testified, saying that they fear high in-state tuition rates are discouraging to in-state students and families who will face staggering student debt loads.

鈥淥ur family is one of thousands that鈥檚 been negatively effected by the historic cuts made by the previous legislature,鈥� said Steve Fortier, a Keene State alumni. 鈥淥ur two children are now on the path to be among those 易胜博官网 graduates who are leaving college with the highest level of student debt in the country.鈥�

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