Maryland Higher Education Commission

Maryland Higher Education Accomplishments

• Governor O’Malley has frozen tuition at all University System of Maryland (USM) Schools and Morgan State University for the fourth consecutive year. The tuition freeze has no doubt helped 2008 total fall headcount enrollment at Maryland’s colleges and universities grow to a record level of 337,211 students, or 3.4 percent over the previous year – an increase of 11,135 students. Because of the investment Governor O’Malley made at USM schools (fall headcount enrollment increased 4.2 percent) and Morgan State University (an increase of 1.6 percent), a student graduating this year will not have seen their tuition rise from enrollment to their fourth year in school. Meanwhile, enrollment at the State’s independent schools over which Governor O’Malley has no jurisdiction in terms of setting their tuition rates (their independent boards of directors set tuition), was relatively flat decreasing by only 198 students (three-tenths of a decrease). This is what President Obama had to say about the University System of Maryland's institutions recently: "So I challenge state, college and university leaders to put affordability front and center as they chart a path forward. I challenge them to follow the example of the University of Maryland, where they're streamlining administrative costs, cutting energy costs, using faculty more effectively, making it possible for them to freeze tuition for students and for families."

• Governor O’Malley created the Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF) during the 2007 special session through the Tax Reform Act of 2007 (Chapter 3). The major purpose of the fund is to invest in public higher education and workforce development. HEIF funds can only be used to supplement general fund appropriations to public senior higher education institutions (i.e. University System of Maryland institutions and Morgan State University) for related capital projects and workforce development initiatives administered by MHEC. The Tax Reform Act of 2007 increased the corporate income tax rate from 7 to 8.25 percent which began in January 1, 2008 and distributes a portion of the increased revenue to the HEIF. The HEIF received $16.0 million in fiscal 2008 and $54.3 million in fiscal 2009. This represents six percent of total corporate income tax revenues in fiscal 2009. The General Assembly reauthorized the HEIF for FY 2010 and the Governor has said he will work to make the HEIF permanent.

• Higher Education experienced a State operating funds increase of 8.3% from FY 2007 to FY 2008 from $1.43 billion to $1.549 billion. State funding for higher education increased 6.2%, to $1.645 billion, from FY 2008 to FY 2009 and $1.66 billion (a 0.8 increase) from FY 2009 to FY 2010.
  
  

• Governor O’Malley authorized more than $220 million in State capital funds to community colleges in FY 2008 through 2010. Capital funding rose from $56.4 million in FY 08 to a record $84.3 million in FY 2010. This is a 49 percent increase over FY 08. The Governor’s record appropriation to community colleges stunned many higher education officials because it was such a bold increase.
  
  

• Governor O’Malley has included more than $333 million in his past three years’ budgets for grants and scholarships which are administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. This vital aid went to more than 174,000 Maryland students attending Maryland two- and four-year universities, colleges and private career schools during this time.
  
  

• Thanks in large part to the O’Malley-Brown administration’s commitment to higher education in Maryland, five higher education institutions made Kiplinger Magazine’s list of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2009-2010: University of Maryland, College Park (8), St. Mary’s College of Maryland (37), Salisbury University (59), University of Maryland Baltimore County (93), and Towson University (97). Johns Hopkins University ranked #20 amongst the magazine’s Best Values in Private Colleges for 2009-2010.
  
  Eight of Maryland’s public and independent colleges and universities made the Princeton Review’s list of the 371 Best Schools in the country. They are: Goucher College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, St. John’s College, St. Mary’s college of Maryland, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, and Washington College. Twelve institutions made the list of Best Northeastern Colleges. They include: Goucher College, Hood College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, Maryland Institute College of Art, Salisbury University, St. John’s College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park and Washington College. Two Maryland schools made the 2010 Princeton Review’s 100 Best Value Colleges: Salisbury University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
  
  Links:
  
  Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges & Universities 2009-2010
  Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Private Colleges &Universities 2009-2010
  Kiplinger’s link to methodology of rankings for public colleges & universities
  Kiplinger’s link to methodology of rankings for private colleges & universities
  
  Princeton Review link to Best 371 Schools (free account required):
  http://www.princetonreview.com/SchoolList.aspx?id=784 
  Princeton Review link to 2010 Best Value Public Colleges (free account required):
  http://www.princetonreview.com/SchoolList.aspx?id=788
  Princeton Review link to 2010 Best Value Colleges methodology:
  http://www.princetonreview.com/bvc-methodology.aspx
  Princeton Review link to 2010 Best Northeastern Colleges (free account required):
  http://www.princetonreview.com/SchoolList.aspx?id=735
  
  

• Governor O’Malley provided $750,000 funding in FY 2009 and FY 2010 for the Veterans of the Afghanistan Iraq Conflict (VAIC) scholarship administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. In FY 2008, MHEC spent $643,000 in VAIC scholarship money that went to123 veterans. The average award was $5,228. During the 2006 General Assembly Session, then-Delegate Brown, led the fight for this funding. House Bill 3 – the Advocacy and Education Act of 2006 – of which he was a primary co-sponsor with House Speaker Michael E. Busch, did the following: established the Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship; altered eligibility requirements for the Edward T. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program; established a specified death benefit for Maryland residents serving in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts; established the Outreach and Advocacy Program in the Department of Veterans Affairs; requires the Program to help veterans and their dependents access specified benefits; and established the Task Force to Study State Assistance to Veterans.