Apologizing for a potentially fuzzy connection, President Barack Obama joined a conference call with student journalists from Air Force One on Tuesday afternoon.
En route from a speech at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to another at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Obama fielded questions on the possibility of interest rates on student loans doubling come July.
On July 1, more than 7.4 million students with federal student loans will see an increase in their interest rates. Without congressional intervention, the rate will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.
As a part of his 2012 presidential re-election campaign, Obama is traveling throughout the country to universities and colleges, speaking to students about how he believes there is a need for affordable college loans.
“I’ve always believed that we should be doing everything we can in order to make higher education a possibility for every American student,” he said.
During his speech at UNC-Chapel Hill, Obama retold the story of how he and first lady Michelle Obama married and “became poor together” while paying off student loans from their years at Harvard Law School.
During the call, Obama added that he and his wife were paying off their student loans until about eight years ago.
“It’s exciting to know we have a president that isn’t out of touch with young people and how expensive higher education is,” said Marika Bresler, vice president of OU’s College Democrats. “It’s also important that students realize this is something only Congress can fix and that we need to take action to raise awareness on the issue.”
In a similar conference call last month, Vice President Joe Biden said 62 percent of jobs require a degree beyond high school.
“We need students to start conversations. We’re determined to make a difference, and no one should have to worry about being able to afford an education,” said Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
With the need for a stronger economy, higher education has never been more important, Obama said, adding that it has never been more expensive.
“This cannot be a luxury,” he said. “It’s an economic imperative that all students should be able to afford.”
jb351009@ohiou.edu
