Today, President Obama sent the message below to the White House email list to explain why he'll be on the road this week talking about his plan to make college more affordable. If you didn't get the email, be sure to sign up.
Hello, everybody —
Michelle and I know exactly how tough it can be to pay for higher education. By the time we finished paying back the loans we took out to go to college and grad school, I was on my way to being a U.S. Senator.
I believe that anyone who works hard should have the same opportunities that our educations gave us. That's why, as President, I've made it a personal mission to make higher education more affordable — and why I'm going to be visiting school campuses later this week.
Learn more about why this is the time to take action.
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.
