Election 2010: Nevada Higher Education in the Balance

Dear Colleague,

This year’s election campaign is coming to an end, next Tuesday November 2. The stakes for us, and for all of higher education in Nevada, could hardly be higher.

For this reason, the NFA PAC has worked hard going back to last August to research and identify higher-education friendly candidates at all levels. If you have not yet voted, we urge to you to vote and to support NFA-endorsed higher-education-friendly candidates.

While the NFA PAC traditionally focuses on elections for state office and for regent, this year we face a particularly important election at the federal level. And so we urge you to please be sure to vote to send Harry Reid back to the Senate, to resume his position as Majority Leader.

Whatever one’s political affiliation or philosophy, this election offers a clear choice for anyone concerned with higher education in Nevada. Not only has Reid consistently supported quality, affordable higher education throughout his career but his opponent has made clear that she would like to eliminate all federal support for state higher education systems like ours. She – and many in her party – are committed to ending the Department of Education – wiping out more than half a billion dollars in grants-in-aid for Nevada students and privatizing student loans so that billions of dollars now slated to support higher education and deficit reduction would go instead to subsidize private lenders.

Lest you think she merely wants to transfer student aid to the states, keep in mind she voted against the state’s Millenium Scholarship program and continues to support its abolition.

Your vote is critical to stop her extreme and dangerous agenda, so please get out and vote this week!


As Majority Leader, Senator Reid been and will continue to be an essential supporter of NSHE’s institutions and mission. Simply put, if Nevada loses his commitment and position of influence, the deep budget crisis that is threatening our institutions, our programs, our jobs, our salaries and benefits, and most of all, our students’ opportunities – will become all the more dire. The future of education in this state will be drastically curtailed, because a significant portion of federal support for our System will be gone.


Senator Reid fights for Nevada’s educators and students. Whether it's working to make college more affordable, retooling No Child Left Behind, or fighting for the education funding that Governor Gibbons would leave on the table, Senator Reid stands with Nevada's students and their teachers. That's why he has been endorsed by the Nevada State Education Association, the Nevada Faculty Alliance and the National Education Association. Last year alone, Senator Reid secured more than $400 million for Nevada's schools, colleges and universities to help prevent layoffs and draconian cuts in basic services for our students. And just this August, he secured $83 million in emergency funds to save 1,400 education jobs.

Sharron Angle wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which provides nearly half a billion dollars in Pell Grants and loans to more than 30,000 Nevada college students each year. She also opposes the Millennium Scholarship, which has provided more than $228 million to help 20,000 Nevada students afford a college degree. In the past two years, Angle twice opposed funding that saved thousands of Nevada teachers from layoffs and prevented class sizes from spiraling out of control.

Please, if you are a member of the NFA or support its commitment to quality affordable higher education in Nevada, get out and vote for Harry Reid and please urge your family, your friends and your colleagues to do so as well.