October Proclaimed New Hampshire Goes to College Month

Governor signs proclamation at today’s Executive Council meeting

September 21, 2005 — Concord , N.H. — The New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission is pleased to partner with the members of the New Hampshire College and University Council and the NHHEAF Network Organizations to designate October as New Hampshire Goes to College Month.

Governor John Lynch declared October as New Hampshire Goes to College Month during an Executive Council meeting held today at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. The proclamation recognizes the importance of higher education in the state. To mark this occasion, representatives from the colleges were in attendance.

“A college education can open doors that many people did not know exist, both doors of the mind and doors of opportunity,” said Stephen J. Reno, chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. “Part of the University System of New Hampshire's mission is to provide educational opportunities for all, and I encourage anyone who thinks that their barriers to attending college are too great to talk to a college admissions office to see how those barriers might be removed.”

Reno attended the event along with New Hampshire Community Technical College System Commissioner William Simonton and Rivier College President William J. Farrell.

“Studies show that New Hampshire will need space for more than 12,000 additional college students by 2015 just to maintain our current college participation rate, which is already below the regional average,” said Community Technical College System Commissioner Bill Simonton. “During ‘New Hampshire Goes to College Month,’ we should consider how to make sure more students can go to college here in New Hampshire, rather than departing for other states.”

As a part of New Hampshire Goes to College Month, students, teachers and parents of all ages are encouraged to explore the educational opportunities at the State’s postsecondary institutions. Over 70,000 students attend institutions of higher education in New Hampshire each year and the colleges and universities contribute over $3.5 billion to the State’s economy annually.

“There are great options for college in New Hampshire,” said Tom Horgan, president and CEO of the New Hampshire College and University Council. “Students and families are invited to attend open houses and events at all New Hampshire’s colleges and universities to get better acquainted with their offerings.” A list of upcoming events during October is available at www.nhcuc.org.

The month long celebration is part of a larger College Is Possible campaign that will include a posters for middle and high schools from the University System of New Hampshire; workshops and parent programs at libraries and community organizations and Discover U, a series of early college awareness programs coordinated by the NHHEAF Network Organizations for eighth grade students and their parents. The first Discover U program will be held 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturday, October 15, 2005 at New Hampshire Community Technical College at Claremont. Three other events will be held in early 2006. Information and registration is available at www.discoveru.org.

“As the foremost resource for college planning in the State, we hope parents and students will utilize the free services of the Center for College Planning to help them realize their college dreams,” said René A. Drouin, president and CEO of the NHHEAF Network Organizations.

Learn more about the partnering organizations and their commitment to higher education at: www.nh.gov/postsecondary, www.nhcuc.org and www.nhheaf.org.

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