August 28, 2013
$îortlanb (Observer
Page
Judging Colleges on their Affordability
Obama calls for
cost-conscious
ratings system
(A P) — T argeting the soaring
cost o f higher education, P resident
B arack O bam a on T hursday u n
veiled a broad new governm ent rat
ing system for colleges that w ould
ju d g e schools on their affordability
and perhaps be used to allocate
federal financial aid.
T he president, speaking to a stu
dent-heavy crow d o f 7,000 at the
U niversity at B uffalo, said he e x
pected pushback from those w ho
have profited from the ballooning
cost o f college. B ut he argued that
w ith the nation's econom y still shaky
and students facing increasing g lo
bal com petition, m aking college a f
fordable is "an econom ic im pera
tive."
"H igher education cannot be a
lu x u ry ," O bam a said during the first
stop on a tw o-day bus tour through
N ew Y ork and P ennsylvania. "Ev
ery A m erican fam ily should be able
to get it."
T he education proposals are part
o f the broader econom ic agenda
O bam a has been pitching across
the country this sum m er.
President Barack Obama addresses a packed house at the University o f Buffalo as part o f an
initiative to judge schools on their affordability.
T he rising cost o f college has
increasingly becom e a b u rd en fo r
m any A m ericans. A ccording to ad-
m inistration figures, the tuition costs
at public, fo u r-y ear universities has
tripled o v er the last 30 years and
average student loan debt stands at
$26,000.
O v er the past five years, the tu-
ition sticker price at public four-year college costs. W hile O b am a’s pro-
co lleg es is up 27 percent b eyond posal could give colleges an incen-
o v erall inflation, acco rd in g to a tive to slow increases, it co u ld also
C o lleg e B oard survey. A t private add m assive reporting requirem ents
schools, the average student’s cost that could be a burden on schools
has risen 13 p ercent beyond overall already struggling to m ake ends
inflation.
meet.
T here has been little consensus
T he new rating system does not
am ong policym akers on how to curb
Lincoln Senior Honored
L in c o ln H ig h S c h o o l s e n io r
A lexandra G ritta has w on the high-
est ho n o r bestow ed by C ongress,
C o n g re ssw o m a n
Suzanne
A w ard G old M edal. T he aw ard is
given to A m erican youth w ho dem -
onstrate initiative, service to others
and achievem ent.
C ongress this y ear and the 11th
O regonian to receive it since the
program w as established in 1979.
T he C ongressional A w ard pro-
require congressional approval, and
the W hite H ouse is aim in g to have
it set up before the 2015 school year.
But O bam a does n eed support from
C ongress in o rd er to use the ratings
as a basis fo r parceling out federal
financial aid.
In addition to tuition, schools
w ill also be rated on average stu
dent loan debt, g raduation rates and
the average earnings o f graduates.
U nder O bam a's proposal, students
a tte n d in g h ig h ly ra te d sc h o o ls
could receive larger grants and m ore
affordable loans.
T he president is also seeking leg
islation to give colleges a "bonus"
based on the n um ber o f students
they graduate w ho received Pell
G rants. The goal is to encourage
colleges to enroll and graduate low -
and m oderate-incom e students.
O bam a's other proposals include
a requirem ent that colleges w ith high
dropout rates distribute student aid
over the course o f the sem ester rather
than in a lum p sum. T he aim is to
ensure that students w ho drop out
do no t receive funds fo r tim e they
are not in school.
T he president also renew ed his
call for a $ 1 billion college "Race to the
Top" com petition that w ould rew ard
states that m ake significant changes
in higher education policies while
also containing tuition costs.
and achieve goals in four program $25,0 0 0 for organizations w ith m is
areas: V olunteer public service, per- sions to rescue and provide safe
sonal developm ent, p h y sical fit- habitats for horses.
ness, and expedition/exploration.
“It is a great privilege to present
G ritta turned h er love for horses th e C o n g r e s s io n a l A w a r d to
into a charity that qualified h e r fo r A lexandra G ritta,” said B onam ici.
the voluntary public service por- “A lexandra is a talented young hu-
tion o f the aw ard, spending hun- m anitarian and is w ell-deserving o f
ill
The Jefferson High School class
o f “1963” is celebrating their
50th reunion on September 21,
2013 at the Double Tree located
at the Lloyd Center,
For information contact
Al Panek (503 256-5420)
or Paul L. Green Sr. (503 287-5721)
Lincoln High School's Alexandra Gritta (left) is presented with the Congressional Gold Medal from
Oregon Congresswoman Susanne Bonamici in honor o f G ritta’s service to others and her achieve
ment.