Montana Increases Number of College Grads More than any other State

Governor Brian Schweitzer today said he is proud of Montana for increasing the number of citizens that graduate from college by more than any other state according to a recent report by The Hechinger Report and a report released today by the U.S. Department of Education.

A recent report by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit news organization that is focused on producing in-depth education journalism, said that Montana, "raised the percentage of its 25- to 64-year-olds who have finished college by more than 6 percent over the last three years, the biggest improvement in the nation, during a time when the rest of the country barely edged up on this measure by 1 percent. Fifteen states actually lost ground."

"Montana has a great story to tell," said Governor Brian Schweitzer, who has invested more money in education than any other Governor in history. "With common course numbering, improvements in transferability of credits and more programs for high school students to get college credits we are leading the nation in preparing our citizens for the future."

The report released today by the U.S. Department of Education shows Montana increasing the number of college graduates by 3.2% from 2009 to 2010 – more than double any other state. The national average is half a percent.

More information on The Hechinger Report can be found at: http://hechingerreport.org/content/in-montana-small-changes-spur-nations-biggest-jump-in-college-graduates_8908/

The U.S. Department of Education Report can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-state-state-college-attainment-numbers-show-progress-toward-2020-goal

Student tuition was frozen for two years at all campuses of the Montana University System and for four years at all 2-year colleges with the College Affordability Plan which Governor Schweitzer successfully negotiated with the Montana Board of Regents and the Legislature.

As one of his first endeavors, Governor Schweitzer proposed and passed the "Best and Brightest" scholarship program. This scholarship has given opportunity to over 2700 students who will study at any of Montana’s 2-or 4-year public colleges and universities, including community and tribal colleges.