Higher education has become more important than ever in Nevada, which is no longer a state where you can afford a home, car and family by simply parking cars or waiting tables.
We’ve all seen how jobs in hospitality seem to suffer first and sometimes the hardest when economic strife hits the country.
While many colleges around the country are experiencing enrollment declines, the opposite is happening in Southern Nevada.
UNLV this year has just under 33,000 students, the most in its history. Nevada State University has around 7,500 students, and the three College of Southern Nevada campuses typically enroll about 30,000 students each semester.
That means jobs for thousands of people employed at those schools, and maybe higher-paying jobs for graduates.
But how do the schools keep that going in the face of rising college costs and, maybe more importantly, predictions that enrollment will start to see declines nationally because fewer people are having children — not just here but worldwide?
In the coming months, what are the schools seeking from state lawmakers and the governor, as the state legislative session begins on Feb. 3?
Guests: Keith Whitfield, president, UNLV; DeRionne Pollard, president, Nevada State University; William Kibler, acting president, College of Southern Nevada
