Yesterday, President Obama kicked off his college affordability bus tour at the University of Buffalo where he offer his plan to make college more affordable, tackle rising costs, and improve value proposition for students and their families.
Today more and more well-paying jobs require education or training after high school, continuously making college education the ticket into the middle class. Despite President Obama’s historic investments in college affordability since taking office, the cost of college has been growing out of reach for decades, and students and their families are taking on more of the costs. The facts are clear; Americans with a college education earn more and are more likely to be employed. In 2012, the unemployment rate for Americans with undergraduate degrees or higher is 4.5% while Americans holding less than a high school diploma is 12.4%. Additionally this 12% earns a weekly median income of $471 (Source: www.whitehouse.gov).
Again, the facts are clear. Over the past three decades, the average tuition at a public four-year college has more than tripled. At the same time, many state governments are actually reducing their support for education, and many middle-class students are getting stuck with the tab. Today, the average student taking out loans to pay for education graduates with more than $26,000 in debt. Yesterday the President stated,
“To create a better bargain for the middle class, we have to fundamentally rethink about how higher education is paid for in this country. We’ve got to shake up the current system.”
Education is an economic imperative and every child should have the opportunity to rise as far as their hard work and initiative will take them. See how the President will shake of the system and make education more valuable and affordable for the middle class.
Corbin Norman can be reached directly at corbin@pslovecharli.com. He is also active on his Twitter page, GeniusIAm and personal blog, The Genius Way.
