Susan Larson
Lake Ridge-Occoquan Patch
Published June 22, 2012
Former Virginia governor (2006-2010) and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine (D) held a forum Thursday with Northern Virginia students and parents on the future of higher education.
About 30 people gathered at Villa Bella Restaurant in Burke. Kaine's staff said invitations to the event were based on recommendations from local education and political leaders.
"The United States has dropped from first to 16th in the world for the number of 20 to 30-year-olds who complete some form of higher education after high school," Kaine told those gathered. "We still lead the world in the number of kids who start college," he said. "Kids say they had enough to get started but not finish. The thing we really have to do is make higher education more affordable."