Maryland State Wire

An advocate for Maryland's 16 community colleges voiced some cautious optimism about Gov. Larry Hogan's recent announcement of initiatives to make college more affordable and reduce student debt.

"Gov. Hogan's college affordability and student debt relief initiatives, announced last week, appear comprehensive in their approach to both prevent and to minimize the financial burdens of student loan debt on Marylanders," Maryland Association of Community Colleges Executive Director Bernard Sadusky told Maryland State Wire. "Program details have not yet been determined, so it is difficult to predict their effect on students, families and higher education institutions."

The association intends to make those assessments as details about the initiatives become available, Sadusky said. 

"MACC looks forward to learning more and to participating in development of programs related to community colleges and our students."

Founded in 1992, MACC "is the unified voice for Maryland's 16 community colleges," as it works with businesses, communities, governments and other organizations with an eye toward student success, job training and economic in the state, the association's website says.

Hogan announced what was described in a press release as a "comprehensive series of initiatives" on July 16. The initiatives are aimed at making a college education more affordable and to provide relief from student debt, Hogan said.

"In Maryland, nearly 60 percent of all of our college students are graduating with thousands of dollars in student debt," Hogan was quoted in the press release. "This financial burden is preventing young Marylanders from achieving financial security and has become a roadblock to home ownership and saving for retirement. That changes today, as we provide real and pragmatic solutions for our students and continue to invest a record $7 billion into making college affordable and relieving crushing student loan debt."

Hogan's announcement included a promise to introduce legislation that allows state residents to deduct student loan interest on their income tax returns and to work toward expanding the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program, legislation signed by the governor in May, to include four-year institutions in the state.

That program already was on MACC's radar, Sadusky told Maryland State Wire. 

"The Community College Promise Scholarship and Near-Completer bill, which Gov. Hogan signed into law in spring 2018, will take effect in the fall of 2019," he said. "Program details are still under development, but MACC anticipates this initiative will benefit recent Maryland high school graduates who would otherwise be unable to attend college."

These education improvements in Maryland are good for the state's economy, Sadusky said. 

"Moreover, programs that improve accessibility of higher education create a more educated population overall, which can benefit Maryland’s economy in a variety of ways," he said. "A more educated population is linked to higher business productivity due to higher skilled workers performing more efficiently; increased attractiveness of Maryland as a home to new business due to a well-educated workforce; higher worker incomes that can increase state tax revenues; and reduced social support expenditures."