Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates are on the agenda today at the Virginia Summit on Competitiveness and Higher Education.

Virginia receives $1.39 in state tax revenue for every dollar it invests in public higher education, says a study by a business coalition that is campaigning for increased support for colleges and universities. The Virginia Business Higher Education Council will present the report today at a summit on economic competitiveness and higher education. The summit, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, will include remarks by both gubernatorial candidates and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a myriad of global business interests, including companies like ours that confront the difficult energy and health care issues of our time. We have long been fortunate to have one of the best systems of higher education anywhere in the country, and it is especially vital now, since many of the challenges in today’s knowledge-based economy can only be addressed through advanced education, skill, and research.