Cuts to Sellinger have hurt our state's historic commitment to equity and fairness in higher education. Private schools share the burden with state schools of educating at-risk students. African American enrollment at independent colleges and universities is at 24%, and growing at a rate of nearly 44% a year. Sellinger cuts have diminished the ability of private colleges and universities to provide enough financial aid to keep the doors of opportunity wide open.

Cuts to Sellinger have caused Maryland to fall behind our regional competitors. Our schools are competing with colleges and universities in states such as New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia — all of which provide grants to private colleges and universities. The cuts Maryland schools have suffered have been deeper than those passed by legislatures in our neighboring states, and have resulted in staff layoffs, salary freezes, and increasing class size. As a result, Maryland private institutions may start to lose faculty and students to schools in these states.

Cuts to Sellinger have a negative impact on economic development and jobs in Maryland at a time of sluggish growth. These cuts have resulted in delays and cancellations of significant expansion and renovation projects by our Maryland independent colleges and universities. Every day a project is delayed is one day fewer of income for a Maryland worker. Dollars unearned result in dollars unspent in the Maryland economy. Cuts to Sellinger will hurt underserved communities. Private colleges and universities provide a host of educational, health, and cultural services to communities that need all the help they can get. Sellinger cuts have forced private colleges and universities to rethink and reduce these commitments.

Cuts to Sellinger hurt Maryland's ability to attract federal research funding. Sellinger is used by our institutions to attract federal dollars into our state. Without these unrestricted funds, our ability to provide matching grant dollars will be reduced.

How cuts in Sellinger Aid will impact Johns Hopkins University

The level of our financial commitment to our community and institutional partnerships will suffer if further cuts are made to the Sellinger Aid program.

Along with capital infrastructure and scholarship support, Sellinger Aid allows us to continue our financial support for these critical projects.

JHU has major campuses in Montgomery, Howard, Baltimore County and Baltimore City

JHU operates education, health care and research facilities in 19 of the 24 Counties and conducts scores of K-12 outreach initiatives, such as our partnership with Dunbar High School in East Baltimore

JHU provides numerous job training programs that raise the skill levels of our employees

JHU offers additional training in communities all over Maryland to give various specialized skills needed for a high tech economy

Cuts to the Sellinger Aid program would make us re-evaluate our statewide academic course offerings.