Nevada cannot build a stronger economy if our most talented students have to leave the state to pursue an affordable education. The Millennium Scholarship was created to give high-achieving Nevada graduates a reason to attend school here at home.

The Millennium Scholarship has been allowed to drift toward insolvency without a long-term plan to protect it. Drew will fight to preserve these opportunities for future Nevada students—without raising taxes.

He will also work to ensure Nevada’s education programs recognize that success does not always require a traditional four-year degree. Scholarships should support students pursuing practical, in-demand credentials through community colleges, technical programs, apprenticeships, and qualified trade schools.

Keeping talented students in Nevada is about much more than college affordability. Nevada faces persistent shortages of nurses, doctors, medical technicians, teachers, skilled tradespeople, engineers, and other trained workers. Nevada still needed more than 3,000 additional registered nurses simply to reach the national average. When young Nevadans leave for education and establish their careers elsewhere, our hospitals, schools, construction projects, small businesses, and rural communities all pay the price.

That talent shortage also makes it harder to recruit and retain employers. Companies considering Nevada need more than favorable taxes and available land—they need confidence that they can hire skilled workers locally. Strong universities, community colleges, trade programs, and dependable scholarship opportunities create the workforce Nevada needs to attract new industries, diversify our economy, and help existing businesses grow.

Drew will work to preserve merit-based scholarships, expand pathways into high-demand careers, and ensure Nevada’s investment in its students becomes an investment in Nevada’s future.