A funny thing is happening on the way to the November 5 presidential elections: higher education is getting more attention than ever before.

And it may be just in time. Since the so-called "Republican Revolution" in the House of Representatives two years ago, higher education seemed an endangered species. But those reports of the untimely death of colleges and universities proved premature.

Why the sudden shift? I would hope the Congress and the presidential candidates have finally awakened to the importance of higher education. Our nation's universities, the unquestioned best in the world, are the driving engine for research that ranges from health-care breakthroughs to new communications technologies. And it's no accident that the federal government lends billions of dollars each year to needy students who view a college degree as the best means of upward social mobility.

U.S. Census data show that an individual with a college degree will earn $600,000 to $1 million more on average over the course of their working lives, compared to their counterparts with only a high school diploma. Encouraging a better-educated workforce is not just a luxury the Congress should encourage, but a mandate for a prosperous future. A good economy depends on citizens who are able to compete in the global marketplace.

But all this seemed in jeopardy in the last 23 months as calls for a balanced budget rose. Today, the Republican-led House of Representatives and the presidential candidates should be commended for their strong support of higher education.

I would hope we can now take the next step in removing partisan politics from higher ed and work together to provide educational opportunities for all Americans.

President Clinton has aggressively advocated a $1,500-a-year tuition tax credit, a $10,000 deduction for college tuition and expansion of the immensely successful Direct Loan program. Bob Dole backs tax-free education investment accounts, tax-free earnings on prepaid college tuition programs and increased tax deductions for student loans.

Most surprisingly, the GOP-led House passed the 1997 spending bill that raises maximum Pell Grant awards to their highest level ever and gives the National Institute of Health more money than even President Clinton requested.

Once relegated to the back burner, higher education is finally getting the attention it deserves in both the halls of Congress and on the presidential trail. Our nation will be better for it.

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