I am proud of our students and of our faculty and staff. We are not second best, and we ought not to be second choice. Let me put all of this in a larger context. That means we retain educated people who can contribute to the future of Alaska. Career earnings for college graduates at the two-year degree level through postgraduate work are dramatically higher than career earnings for those who do not attend college.
College education saves the state money in significant ways.
More educated citizens are less likely ever to be on welfare, far less likely ever to be incarcerated, and they are even healthier. As our state looks toward a future that ever more clearly points to the need for new jobs and for a sustainable tax base, University graduates will become more and more important. In short, investment in the University is an investment in the future of Alaska. Investment in the University also is a protection of our state's greatest expenditure. That is a wise investment and one I strongly support.