"There’s only one candidate who is looking at how we make college affordable for every single child in this nation..." -- Michelle Obama, September 22, 2008
On Monday morning, Michelle Obama hosted a conference call with college newspapers across the country to discuss the Obama-Biden plan for higher education and the importance of the youth vote. You can read more about her statements and see what students at the University of Colorado thought of the Obama-Biden plan.
We were planning to compare the Obama-Biden plan with John McCain’s plan for higher education, but he doesn’t seem to have much of one. His stated plan would seek to simplify the application process for existing tax benefits and financial aid, but offers no new aid proposals or plans to make college more affordable. The Colorado Daily reported that, when contacted yesterday, "McCain campaign officials declined to discuss their candidate's stance on higher-ed issues."
That’s definitely not the change we need.
In today’s economy, a college education is more important than ever. College trains the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow, and can get today’s young people on track for achieving their own American dreams.
That’s why Barack Obama and Joe Biden have proposed creating new programs to make college more affordable for every student.
The Obama-Biden plan creates a universal and fully-refundable $4,000 Opportunity Tax Credit. This credit will cover two-thirds the cost of college tuition at the average public state university and make community college almost free for most students. In exchange for the tax credit, students would be required to contribute 100 hours of community service. In this way, the Obama-Biden plan ensures that not only do American students get a great education, they will also learn the value of serving their community.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden will also streamline the financial aid process, removing key hurdles that keep students from the aid they need. Instead of filling out a cumbersome federal financial aid form, parents would simply be able to check a box on their tax forms authorizing their tax information be used to apply for financial aid.
Obama-Biden also plan to make college more affordable by expanding Pell grants for low-income students and ensuring that Pell grants keep up with the rising costs of college inflation.
Read more about the Obama-Biden plan to make college a reality for all American students...
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