Education Investments Pay Off

 

Education Investments Pay Off

 

Pine Technical and Community College strives to provide superior education and social services that enhance the communities we serve.

For some PTCC students, this may include utilizing the Disability Services Office. Human Services Eligibility Worker (HSEW) student Sandra Blake is one of those students. Blake came to PTCC in August 2013 and started working with the Disability Services Office right from the start. The Disability Services Office has “helped me to know that here is someone to talk to when I really need someone to talk about what I’m dealing with, like homework and tests, and how to direct me to places where I can receive the proper accommodations,” explained Blake.

Blake’s hard work paid off, and she made it on the fall 2014 dean’s list for her first time. “I’ve never achieved anything like this before,” she exclaimed when she found out about her success. As she reflects back on her time here at PTCC, Blake has rightfully become quite proud of herself. “My greatest accomplishment here at Pine Technical and Community College has been being able to move forward in my life and do something in my life that I never thought I could do, or would do. And here I am doing it and almost ready to graduate,” she said.

I relate this story because it illustrates one of the many powerful ways that Pine Technical and Community College provides opportunities for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their families and for their communities. This particular example was possible because of the outstanding work of our dedicated faculty and staff, but also because we had the resources to make it happen. We made an investment, and it paid off.

The legislative session has just six weeks until completion. Legislators are considering many important investments, among them funding for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, which of course includes PTCC. Maybe you’ve heard about our funding request and maybe you’ve been wondering what it’s for and why it’s so important. If that’s the case, here’s what you need to know.

Our colleges and universities have two primary sources of funding: tuition from students and appropriations from the state of Minnesota. Thanks to the legislature and Governor Dayton, we have frozen tuition for the last two years, making college a lot more affordable for students in East Central Minnesota. With the exception of a funding increase last session, over the past fifteen years, state support for higher education has been on a steep decline. Since 1999, Minnesota has cut funding by 53 percent. We used to lead the nation when it came to supporting our state colleges and universities, but now we lag far behind. Once we were 21 percent above the national average, and now we’re 20 percent below. It has become increasingly difficult to offer opportunities like [the story described in the introduction].

Our ability to offer these opportunities has never been more important. Within five years, fully 74 percent of the jobs in Minnesota will require some postsecondary credentials. At a time when the demographics of the state are such that 70 percent of our growth will come from underserved populations, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is the only resource able to respond: our colleges and universities serve more first-generation students, more students of color and American Indian students, more low-income students and more veterans than all of Minnesota’s other higher education options – combined.

Counties in our region have traditionally had the lowest rates of college degree attainment in the state.  In an effort to change that, Pine Technical and Community College has redefined our mission to be a more fully comprehensive college. We provide opportunities for our young people to start their four-year degree close to home through the Associate of Arts degree, making college education more affordable and providing new opportunities.

So as you hear about all the many investments being considered this legislative session, I hope you will keep higher education in mind. Making access to college possible for all Minnesotans, meeting the future workforce needs of Minnesota, and protecting our ability to deliver programs to make that happen – these are all things worthy of our investment.