Investing in our students is investing in our future.  We must make sure students have the tools they need to reach their academic potential, enabling them to succeed in a growing global economy. Seven out of the 10 fastest growing jobs in Wisconsin didn't exist a decade ago, so our challenge is to help prepare our students for these jobs using technology that hasn’t been invented yet. This is why our state and nation need an innovation agenda.

This starts with providing our students access to student aid.  Last fall, I voted for the single largest investment in aid to help students and families pay for college.  The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act not only helps a student graduate with less debt, but eases the financial aid application process, stabilizes the student loan program, invests in education, and helps us build a stronger, more competitive American economy.   Over the next 10 years, the bill allows us to invest nearly $500 million in Pell Grants to Wisconsin students.  In the Third Congressional District alone, 75 percent more students will receive grants and more than double the amount of funding will be available. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act added to this with an additional expansion of Pell Grant funding.

The investment in our future begins with student aid but is also impacted by the resources and instruments accessible to students. Just this past December, I supported an investment of more than $31 billion in science, technology, innovation, math education, and workforce training including funding for high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need by colleges and universities, and national labs.

Major investments in fields like science, technology, math and engineering are what we need to remain the most innovative nation in the world. By supporting innovation, basic and applied research, and by focusing our resources to new studies in emerging fields, I believe we will come out of this economic recession in a stronger position. In fact, I was recently on the UW-La Crosse campus to highlight funding the university received for new instruments for multiple science departments and on the UW-Platteville campus to highlight funding for math and science based scholarships. This support will provide students the resources they need to focus on becoming leaders in these industries. This is a tough time for us, but this recession can help us redefine our nation through innovation.

We must continue to invest in our students. It is our students who will help our country compete and succeed in a 21st Century global economy.