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Obama: US Will Again Have the Most College Grads and be Affordable
Compiled from Associated Press/AP Online and The Daily Star reports via Yellowbrix
September 22, 2009
TROY, N.Y. – President Barack Obama says that by 2020 America will again have the world’s highest proportion of college graduates.
The president said Monday that a recent increase in Pell Grants will help the nation reach that goal.
He made the remarks as he spoke at a community college in Troy, N.Y., which has been hit hard by the economic recession. Obama said the government has simplified student aid applications to make it easier for students to afford a higher education.
President Barack Obama went to Troy Monday to plug his economic program, a combination of making college more affordable, reforming health insurance, transitioning to clean energy and funding scientific research.Speaking before an enthusiastic audience at Hudson Valley Community College, the president said, "Today, my administration is releasing our strategy to foster new jobs, new businesses and new industries by laying the groundwork and ground rules to best tap our innovative potential.
“This work began with the recovery plan that we passed several months ago, which devoted well over $100 billion to innovation, from high-tech classrooms to health information technology, from more-efficient homes to more fuel-efficient cars, from building a smart electricity grid to laying down high-speed rail.”
Obama said he chose to make this address before a college crowd because the United States must lead the world in education if it is to succeed economically. Currently, about 40 percent of American college enrollees do not graduate. “It’s not only heartbreaking for those students, it’s a loss for our economy and our country,” he said.
mrobeng
17 days ago
Right. Grads already can't find jobs and he wants more people to go to college? I've put my own education plans on hold until the economy gets better because I can't see wasting the money. I don't see how an a degree could possibly be useful working at Walmart, McDonalds, or other low paying dead end jobs. Student loans and student loans consolidation blog
stupified
24 days ago
its nice they support someone but i didn't like obama
WinfredM
about 1 month ago
I go to a community college and a lot of students don't take it seriously, sadly. I believe that the government should implement strong grade requirements instead of dishing out money to those ungrateful and wasteful of the taxpayers' dollar.
WinfredM
about 1 month ago
Do whatever you feel suits if the government wants to pay for you to have an education exploit it. If not don't complain.
AaronO93
about 1 month ago
I strongly agree that they need to pure a price barrier on the tuition at the universities
AaronO93
about 1 month ago
Well to sifeil its obvious that you dont encourage anybody to go to school. You only want them to serve in the military and either die or dont be able to get a good decent job when they get out! We should help ourselves first and then others. If you haven't noticed most students that do get accepted to graduate programs are foreign students (not native), for the fact that they get more money for the foreign student then the domestic ones. If a limit is place on both sides than the playing field mey be more level than having to wear a mask to class because some people do not believe in wearing deoderant.
SifeiL
about 1 month ago
Increasing college students number makes nothing ,the most important is to get qualified graduates so that they can serve US ,even the whole world. Therefore scholarhips should be applicable to all nations,not just open to the residents. To solve the unafforadable ,the best way is to investigate whether they are really poor and "why"should be concerned.
ShannonS641
about 1 month ago
How are we going to have the highest percentage of college graduates? I'm pretty sure we don't even have the highest percentage of high school graduates.
JenniferJ581
about 1 month ago
im part of the 40% of college students who will not graduate. That makes me sad, because school was my life. i just made some very poor decisions with my credit and its going to take years to go back to school.. i am heart broken. :( OBAMA WHY NOT EDUCATE THE WILLING AND TALENTED THAT CAN NOT AFFORD A HIGHER EDUCATION!! OVER HERE!!! PICK ME!!! PICK ME!!
KristyB140
about 1 month ago
college is supposed to be about quality not quantity education.
sichavez
about 1 month ago
look at what's going on with the UCs! They are privatizing a public education system, making ridiculous tuition increase hikes! Since 2007, UC tuition has increased by 50% and he says that we're going to have more college grads? How is that going to happen when people won't be able to afford tuition anymore for the "public" colleges.
BryanJ76
about 1 month ago
The idea of getting a college degree is so that you are not stuck at those low paying dead end jobs DanaB193. Besides working at a Walmart or McDonalds is not the worst thing in the world if you use your working experience as a springboard for other opportunties such as getting experience to franchise your own McDonald's location(s) or getting into a management trainee program at Walmart. Yes the economy is in an unenviable condition but it will recover .Those that engage in actionable behaviors(pursuing a college degree or vocational training program) that prepare themselves for when the economy gets better will be far better off than those that wait for the right conditions. I am not suggesting that this is what you are doing but at the end of the day it is up to you to create your own destiny. Internal locus of responsibility versus the external locus of control. Last but not least the notion of professional development and personal growth by pursuing education is never a waste of money. The key is to invest in a degree/ training program that 1) you are passionate about and 2.) that is broad,will experience a decent to tremendous amount of growth and will not trap you into only working in one particular industry should that industry experience a recession. Good luck with your travels and I hope you journey turns out the way you envision it.
DanaB193
about 1 month ago
Right. Grads already can't find jobs and he wants more people to go to college? I've put my own education plans on hold until the economy gets better because I can't see wasting the money. I don't see how an a degree could possibly be useful working at Walmart, McDonalds, or other low paying dead end jobs.