From 
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThisRead more memos to President-Elect Barack Obama.
As a candidate for national office, you stressed the importance of higher education. As President, the policies of your administration must match these words—because higher education is more important today than ever before to the future of our country, both economically at home and to our competitiveness abroad.
Attending college in the United States should be thought of by our president as a right afforded to all Americans with the desire to get their degree, and not only those in the middle or upper class. The federal government must support these students in achieving their goals and encourage young students who never believed it was a possibility to consider higher education. The government must reach out to young students from rural and urban areas and work with the states to excite students about attending college.
Once students have made the commitment to pursue higher education, the federal government must help them financially to realize their goals. Currently, qualified students across the country are discouraged from attending the best schools if they cannot afford tuition. In addition, many students must work several jobs to stay afloat rather than immersing themselves in their studies or pursuing other academically valuable opportunities. The next president can help alleviate this burden by simplifying the financial aid process and improving access to loans for students from all backgrounds.
The students in America's great universities will lead our country to a prosperous future. We only have to give them a chance to succeed.
Advertisement 
