Like A Broken Record

Obama’s Endless College Cost Rhetoric Isn’t Enough To Soothe The Stinging Ears Of Young Americans

OBAMA IS TRAVERSING THE COUNTRY AGAIN TO SELL HIS COLLEGE COST RHETORIC

The Associated Press : “Obama Wooing Young Voters With Student Loan Focus.” (Jim Kuhnhein, “Obama Wooing Young Voters With Student Loan Focus,” The Associated Press, 4/21/12)

• Obama’s Latest Campaign Theme Is Focusing On College Crowds To Rally “Young Voters Whose Support He Needs Again.” “Pivoting to his latest election-year theme, President Barack Obama will go before college crowds in three swing states to warn of financial doom for millions of students if Congress does not halt a looming spike in interest rates. His clear political mission: rallying young voters whose support he needs again.” (Ben Feller And Kimberly Hefling, “Big College, Swing States: Obama Makes His Pitch,” The Associated Press,” 4/20/12)

YET OBAMA HAS HAD OVER THREE YEARS TO ADDRESS THE SOARING COST OF COLLEGE

When Obama Took Office, The Tuition For An In-State Four Year College Was $6,585.(“Trends In College Pricing 2009,” College Board, 2008)

• The Tuition For An In-State Four Year College Is $8,244, A 25 Percent Increase. (“Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011)

In 2009, Obama Recognized That The Cost Of College Had “Nearly Tripled”

In 2009, Obama Was Aware That The Costs Of College Were Increasing. OBAMA: “Over the past few decades, the cost of tuition at private colleges has more than doubled, while costs at public institutions have nearly tripled. Compounding the problem, tuition has grown ten times faster than a typical family’s income, putting new pressure on families that are already strained and pricing far too many students out of college altogether.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks On Higher Education, Washington, D.C., 4/24/09)

The Average Tuition For An In-State Four Year College Rose From $6,585 To $7,020.“Published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions average $7,020 in 2009-10, $429 (6.5 Percent) higher than in 2008-09. Average total charges, including tuition and fees and room and board, are $15,213, up 5.9 Percent.”(“Trends In College Pricing 2008,” College Board, 2008; “Trends In College Pricing 2009, College Board, 2009)

• In Obama’s First Year As President, The Cost Of College Escalated 6.5 Percent. “Average tuition at four-year public colleges in the United States climbed 6.5 percent, or $429, to $7,020 this fall as schools apologetically passed on much of their own financial problems, according to an annual report from the College Board, released yesterday. At private colleges, tuition rose 4.4 percent, or $1,096, to $26,273.” (Justin Pope, “College Costs Rise Amid Recession,” The Boston Globe, 10/21/09)

In 2010, The Cost Of College Continued To Rise

Obama Said His Administration Had A “Strategy To Make College More Affordable” As “College Costs Have Grown Higher And Higher And Higher And Higher.” OBAMA: “Now, part one of our strategy is to make college more affordable. I suspect that that’s something you’re all interested in. I don’t have to tell you why this is so important. Many of you are living each day with worries about how you’re going to pay off your student loans. And we all know why. Even as family incomes have been essentially flat over the past 30 years, college costs have grown higher and higher and higher and higher. They have gone up faster than housing, gone up faster than transportation. They’ve even gone up faster than health care costs, and that’s saying something. So it’s no wonder that the amount student borrowers owe has risen almost 25 percent just over the last 5 years. Think about that. Just in the last 5 years, the debt of students has gone up 25 percent.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At The University Of Texas At Austin , Austin, TX, 8/9/10)

The Average Tuition For An In-State Four Year College Rose From $7,020 To $7,605.“Published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions average $7,605 in 2010-11, $555 (7.9 Percent) higher than in 2009-10. Average total charges, including tuition and fees and room and board, are $16,140, up 6.1 Percent.” (“Trends In College Pricing 2009,College Board, 2009; “Trends In College Pricing 2010, College Board, 2010)

• In Obama’s Second Year As President, The Cost Of College Increased 7.9 Percent. “While heading to a private college is still more expensive than going to a state school, tuition and fees are climbing at a faster pace at public schools than at their private brethren. For the school year 2010-11, in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities rose to $7,605, up 7.9% from a year ago, the College Board reported Thursday. At private four-year institutions, the average cost rose 4.5% to $27,293.” (Blake Ellis, “Rise In College Costs Hits Public Schools Hardest,” CNNMoney, 10/28/10)

In 2011, Three Years Into Obama’s Presidency, College Costs Continue To Increase

On The Campaign Trail, Obama Again Conceded That Tuition Continues To Increase “Faster Than Inflation.” OBAMA: “There was a new report today, tuition gone up again, on average, much faster than inflation, certainly much faster than wages and incomes. Over the past three decades, the cost of college has nearly tripled. And that is forcing you, forcing students, to take out more loans and rack up more debt. Last year, graduates who took out loans left college owing an average of $24,000. Student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt for the first time ever.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At The University Of Colorado-Denver , Denver, CO, 10/26/11)

The Average Tuition For An In-State Four Year College Rose From $7,605 To $8,244.“Published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions average $8,244 in $2011-12, $641 (8.3 Percent) higher than in 2010-11. Average total charges, including tuition and fees and room and board, are $17,131, up 6.0 Percent from 2010-11.” (“Trends In College Pricing 2010,College Board, 2010; “Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011)

In 2011, The Cost Of College Increased By Thousands At Public Universities. “Public four-year universities charged residents an average of $8,244, up 8.3% from last year, while public two-year schools charged an average of $2,963, up 8.7%, says the report by the non-profit College Board. About 80% of the nation’s undergraduates attend public institutions.” (Mary Beth Marklein, “Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges,” USA Today, 10/25/11)

The Cost Of College Is Currently At “An All Time High.” “Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. Throw in room and board, and the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year, according to the twin annual reports on college costs and student aid published Wednesday by the College Board.” (Justin Poe, “College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets,” The Associated Press, 10/26/11)

• The Price Of College Increased Double The Rate Of Inflation Between July 2010 And July 2011. “That increase is more than double the inflation rate of 3.6% between July 2010 and July 2011. Family earnings dropped across all income levels. And state funding per student declined by 4% in 2010, the latest year available, and 23% over the past decade, the report says.” (Mary Beth Marklein, “Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges,” USA Today, 10/25/11)