Here in Southwest Ohio, we are very fortunate to be the home of many fine colleges and universities. In fact, in many ways these colleges serve as anchors for our local economy.
Here in Southwest Ohio, we are very fortunate to be the home of many fine colleges and universities. These institutions of higher learning prepare our young people to enter the workforce and also play an integral part in the economic growth and sustainability of the region. In fact, in many ways these colleges serve as anchors for our local economy. Ohio’s Third Congressional District is home to many institutions of higher learning including: the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Clark State, Southern State Community College, Wilmington College, and Sinclair Community College. These institutions are integral to the development of the region and provide our community with many critical jobs and career opportunities and a well educated and properly trained workforce. Numerous graduates from the area’s colleges and universities move on to become prominent leaders in our communities and the business world.
Each of these institutions provide our region with many high paying jobs and a great deal of economic development. These institutions of higher learning are often also a focal point for students and civic minded people to join together for community purposes. For example, over 200 people work at Wilmington College as faculty, administration, and staff. According to Wilmington College, the school also has a yearly economic impact on Clinton County that exceeds $55 million. Students enrolled at Wilmington College also contribute over 15,000 hours of community service every year.
These universities also serve as a haven for cutting edge research and a home for critical breakthroughs in technology. The University of Dayton, for example, is home to the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) where complex research is performed on vital fields such as aerospace applications. Institutions like UDRI are important to our regional economy and the research done there provides Americans with advantages in the workforce of today and on the battlefields of tomorrow. These institutions also enhance the area’s quality of life by providing artists and cultural activities that make our region a better place to live.
During my time in Congress, I have worked to support higher education because I realize how vital it is to the future success of the region. In the 110th Congress I voted for the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which increased grant amounts to students, improved access to student loans, cut interest rates on student loans, provided for the repayment of parts of the loans through employment or service in areas of national need, and rewarded colleges for lowering costs to students. Vital legislation such as this helps relieve the financial burden of attending college and ultimately helps make certain that American workers can compete in this global economy.
I believe that a proper education is important for all Americans but perhaps no one has done more to earn a college education than our nation’s veterans. They deserve the very best we have to offer them both during and after their time serving in uniform. I am proud to have supported the new GI Bill which was signed into law during the previous Congress. This important legislation provides our nation’s veterans with additional years to use their educational benefits and also allows them to transfer their unused benefits to their spouses and children.
Our local colleges and universities, and the students who attend them, are essential to the future of our region. I remain committed to supporting these institutions and look forward to continuing this important work in the 111th Congress.