The Final State of the Union
This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
Summary:
A group of leaders in higher education join the President and First Lady at the White House to take the next step toward ensuring that every child, rich or poor, has the opportunity for a quality college education so they can get ahead.
President Barack Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama and Bard College student Troy Simon, delivers remarks during the College Opportunity Summit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Jan. 16, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
With the growing demand for college-educated workers, a college education is one of the surest ways into the middle class.
The Obama administration has already taken a number of steps to help more students afford and graduate from college, including doubling Federal investments in Pell Grants and college tax credits, reforming student loans, and taking new steps to reduce college costs and improve value.
But while continuing to push for changes that keep college affordable for all students and families, President Obama believes that to lead the world in the share of college graduates by 2020, we can and must be doing more to get more low-income students prepared for college, enrolled in quality institutions, and graduating. And yesterday, a group of leaders in higher education joined the President and First Lady at the White House to take the next step toward ensuring that every child, rich or poor, has the opportunity for a quality college education so they can get ahead.
“We’ve got philanthropists and business leaders here; we’ve got leaders of innovative non-for-profits; we’ve got college presidents -- from state universities and historically black colleges to Ivy League universities and community colleges,” President Obama said. “More than 100 colleges and 40 organizations are announcing new commitments to help more young people not only go to, but graduate from college.”
Together, these leaders made more than 100 commitments to take new action in one of the following areas crucial to college opportunity:
- Connecting more low-income students to the college that is right for them and ensuring more graduate
- Increasing the pool of students preparing for college through early interventions
- Leveling the playing field in college advising and SAT/ACT test preparation
- Strengthening remediation to help academically underprepared students progress through and complete college
In the infographic below, learn more about some of the commitments and why they matter or see this White House fact sheet to get information about all the commitments as well as a new report on increasing college opportunity for low-income students.
