News reports about the U.S. unemployment rate often point out that the unemployment rate for people without a college degree is higher than the rate for those with a degree.

And it’s true. According to last month’s U.S. government data, the unemployment rate for those with a high school diploma, but no college, was 8.8 percent, whereas the rate for those with a bachelor’s degree and higher was 4.1 percent. Continue reading →

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The state budget crises that occurred in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown have often resulted in significant cuts to higher education. Nationally, state and local funding for higher education reached a 25-year low in 2011, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Yet, Maryland has been among the few states that have avoided making deep higher education cuts. According to a National Conference of State Legislatures report on higher education spending in the fiscal years 2009 and 2010:  Continue reading →