UPDATED: President Obama in Warren Today: $12B for Community Colleges

by: PerfectStormer

Tue Jul 14, 2009 at 10:56:36 AM EDT

The Freep:

WASHINGTON - In Warren this afternoon, President Barack Obama will unveil a $12-billion program to improve America's community colleges over the next decade, dedicating funds to expansion and modernization and rewarding successful programs that link employers with locally offered courses. The goal is to graduate 5 million more community college students by 2020.

...

The speech is set for around 3 p.m. and marks Obama's first visit to Michigan as president. He was last in the state in October 2008, campaigning in East Lansing and Grand Rapids as the Democratic nominee.

If you have any self-respect and value your sanity you'll stay out of the comments section at the Freep article (suffice it to say that perhaps the President's next educational initiative should be teaching basic grammar and mechanics). One commenter claims we have a $10 trillion budget deficet [sic].

Skooby's not happy about it, either.

So when it was announced last week th at [sic] the new president was coming to Macomb County for a town hall meeting, it was assumed it would be 'first come, first served."

Wrong.

If you have an invite, you can come in.  If you don't you can watch it on the tube.

So much for change.

S'okay, Tim...I didn't get invited either. I get to sit here in front of my computer and observe the complete lack of regard for mechanics and spelling at your blog (not to mention the insistence on bolding everything).

Meanwhile, in the reality-based community:

The President hasn't forgotten about the 30 or so community colleges he visited during the 2008 campaign. These institutions are our nation's trade schools, training 59% of our new nurses as well as cranking out wind-farm technicians and video-game designers - jobs that, despite ballooning unemployment overall, abound for adequately skilled workers. Community-college graduates earn up to 30% more than high school grads, a boon that helps state and local governments reap a 16% return on every dollar they invest in community colleges.

...

ut as record numbers of students clamor to enroll, community colleges are struggling with shrinking resources or, at best, trying to maintain the status quo. Even the school where [Jill]

Biden teaches, Northern Virginia Community College, has lost more than 10% of its funding in the past two years and has let go of dozens of full-time professors as it braces for more possible cutbacks. Elsewhere, state budget cuts have led to enrollment caps at some community colleges. And if there aren't enough seats in classrooms, students can't get certificates or degrees, and skilled jobs remain unfilled. In short, as the Center for American Progress concluded in a February report, "America's future economic success may well depend on how we invest in two-year institutions."

Anyway...

3:00 @ Macomb CC in Warren. The Freep is carrying the speech live on their website if you're so inclined.

THE OBAMA-BIDEN AGENDA FOR COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Today's new initiatives complement President Obama's existing agenda for higher education. At this time of economic hardship and uncertainty, the Administration's agenda will build the country's capacity, innovation and confidence to drive the nation to first place in the highly skilled workforce crucial for success in the 21st century.  These initiatives include:

· Expanding Pell Grants and College Tax Credits:  

The Recovery Act increased Pell Grants by $500 to $5,350 and created the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit for four years of college tuition. Now, the Administration is working to make these policies permanent and ensure the Pell Grant continues to grow faster than inflation. Together, the Recovery Act and President's Budget call for nearly $200 billion in college scholarships and tax credits over the next decade.

· Reforming the Student Loan Program to Save Billions:

Guaranteed student loans earn banks and other lenders large profits set by the political process rather than won in a competitive marketplace. The Administration will replace guaranteed loans with direct loans, which are administered by private-sector companies, like Sallie Mae and Accenture, selected through a competitive process and paid based upon performance. Direct loans have essentially the same terms for students, are more reliable and efficient, and will save billions of dollars to finance these investments in community colleges as well as increase Pell Grant scholarships and other investments in college opportunity.

· Simplifying the Student Aid Application:

The application for federal student aid has as many as 153 questions, creating major obstacle in the path of aspiring college students. More than a million students fail to apply for aid because of the application's complexity. The Obama Administration is simplifying the financial aid process by modernizing the online application, seeking legislation that will eliminate unnecessary questions, and creating an easy process for students to use tax data to apply. The end result will be a modernized application that requests only easily obtainable personal information

· Helping Unemployed Workers Get New Skills:

In May, President Obama expanded opportunities for unemployed workers to go to a community college and earn new skills. The Department of Education has clarified that these workers should not be denied student aid based upon incomes they no longer earn, and the Department of Labor is working with states to allow workers to keep their unemployment benefits while receiving education and training.

· Expanding the Perkins Loan Program:

The low-cost Perkins loan program is an important option for students who need to borrow more than allowed under the larger Stafford loan program. The Administration will expand it from $1 billion a year to $6 billion a year, making loans available to 2.7 million more students and at 2,600 additional colleges and universities.

· Helping Families Save for College:

The President's Middle Class Task Force has directed the Department of the Treasury to investigate improvements to 529 savings plans to help families save for college more effectively and efficiently.