n Strengthen public trust by demonstrating accountability.

nMake the state colleges a higher priorityinpublic policy.

The state colleges and universities have been publicizing the "perfect storm" of higher education problems for almost a decade. High school enrollment has been increasing, generating more graduates who want to go on to college. State aid to colleges has been decreasing, pushing more of the cost for both education and college expansion onto students and their families.

The so-called "brain drain" of students leaving the state for college has grown from about 20,000 students in 1998 to more than 29,000 in 2006, the largest out-migration in the country.

Last year nine state colleges and universities formed the New Jersey College Promise Advisory Council to generate ideas to improve access, affordability and accountability.

Business officials on the council said they compete in a global economy for workers. Keeping more students in state might help them recruit employees who will stay.

"I've lose three promising young officers to other states this year," Hopewell Valley Community Bank Chairman Patrick L. Ryan said. "We need people to stay here and make roots here."

States that have more public college spots for their own students also have spots for out-of-state students who typically pay more. In 2004, Pennsylvania had more than 30 spots per 100 high school graduates. Delaware had about 60, according to the Quality Counts 2007 survey by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center.

There is no data for New Jersey, but studies in other states have shown that students who leave their home state for college are less likely to return for jobs once they graduate.

"But we are not attracting replacements for those who leave," said R. Barbara Gitenstein, president of The College of New Jersey. She said more than 80 percent of TCNJ graduates get jobs in the state, but almost all of their students already come from New Jersey.

A primary target will be immigrant and minority students who are increasing in number and are likely to have a harder time affording college.

"If the state is going to grow and prosper, we have to educate these kids," said Richard Novak, of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, who facilitated the Council.

Both Rowan University and Richard Stockton College have begun partnerships with county colleges to allow students to finish their four-year degrees at the county colleges. That is convenient for students and frees up space at the four-year college. Stockton has added more four-plus-one master's degree programs that allow students to get a master's degree in one extra year.

Rowan's new College of Professional and Continuing Development is working with businesses to offer certificate programs targeting their specific needs. The university also has a new associate vice president for student engagement who will work on student retention and helping more students graduate in four years.

Rowan spokesman Joe Cardona said the university has added some grants for academically qualified low-income students to help with extra costs.

"Sometimes just a few hundred dollars can knock them out of college," he said.

Gitenstein said, with rising costs, she does see more pressure from parents to make sure their children get their degree in four years. She said the college also will intensify efforts to make sure students know what they must do to complete requirements in that time. Not only will they enter the job market sooner, but they are likely to have less student-loan debt.

The colleges also plan to work more closely with business and industry to develop internships that could lead to jobs.

Clifford F. Lindholm, III, president and CEO of Falstrom Company, a manufacturing firm in Passaic, said there are jobs in engineering and management going unfilled. He even has hired from overseas.

"There is a high cost of living in New Jersey, and it does make it hard to recruit," he said. "That's one reason we want to try to get more employees who already live here."

E-mail Diane D'Amico:

DDamico@pressofac.com