Maryland Invests

This morning, students from the University of Maryland College Park presented me with the “Maryland Invests” book, a compilation of personal stories written by students on their experiences paying for college.

These stories are a reminder of why it is so critically important that we continue making investments to keep college affordable. Alone among the 50 states, Maryland chose to freeze in-state tuition at state colleges and universities for four years years in a row.

Together, we then held tuition increases to the lowest in the nation for over five years. According to the college board, since 2007, we’ve done more than any other state to hold down the cost of college tuition.

This year’s budget continues our commitment to higher education by investing $5.83 billion — money that will go towards scholarships, financial aid and academic programs.

Some have suggested that because we made better choices in the past, we should curtail our investments now. This is not the time to stop investing in our greatest assets — the talents, skills, creativity and ingenuity of our people. It is the time to invest more.

If we want to be winners in this changing new economy, the best investments we can make are investments in ourselves.

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