Federal spending for higher education could increase by $2 billion in the next four years — for community colleges, not four-year institutions like Ball State.
Second Lady Jill Biden was among female White House leaders who discussed President Barack Obama's goals for investing in two-year education programs during a phone conference with student and professional media. The call came a day before the White House Summit on Community Colleges, a day for journalists to meet White House leaders and discuss the future of higher education.
"[It] is an important next step in our efforts to meet the president's goal for having the best educated, most competitive work force in the world by the end of the year 2020," Biden said.
The importance of community colleges is something the president and vice-president have been talking about since taking office 19 months ago, Melody Barnes, Domestic Policy Council director, said.
Only 33.4 percent of Hoosiers between ages 25 and 64 have at least a two-year college degree, according to a report from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education. This is more than four points behind the national average of 37.9 percent. Funding initiatives proposed by the federal government could help states like Indiana get back on track.
Besides the government, the Aspen Institute and other foundations are offering money to support community colleges, too. The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, for example, recognizes institutions with exceptional student completion rates and workforce success.
All this spending leads to one gutsy goal: putting the United States back on the map as one of the most educated countries.
"The president has set a goal for every American to obtain at least one year of post-secondary education and training," Barnes said. "By the year 2020, the United States would once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter said the government has made strides in offering more financial aid and simplifying the process to apply for it. Now she has her eye on another prize.
"We have a lot to do to make sure students are receiving that world-class education," she said. "We want to see them earn degrees and certificates that are preparing them for success in the workplace."
Raising the profile of American colleges is a long overdue endeavor, Jane Oates, assistant secretary of the Department of Labor, said. She said community colleges are the foundation of our public workforce.
"In every community, in every corner of this country, they are the access point for students at all ages," she said.
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