State of the Union: Obama Links Education and the Future of American Jobs

"Higher education cannot be a luxury. It is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford." President Barack Obama during his 2012 State of the Union Address

On Tuesday evening as I watched the 2012 State of the Union address and the Republican rebuttal—something I've done maybe only twice before in my life—as an Independent, I was very interested to hear what the current Administration had to say about the state of our increasingly confusing and intensely bipartisan nation.

To employ an overused cliché: these are uncertain times. I wanted to know what our nation's priorities are this all-important election year. What I heard were jobs are coming back (albeit slowly); green energy is "in;" wars have been (or are being) concluded; the government is becoming more efficient; etc.. But  I—like most Americans—needed some reassurance about our economic future. The fact that Obama's rallying cry for "equal pay for equal work for women " was top SOTU tweet said a lot.

What I was most interested in the future of education in America. I'm surrounded by research and tools like CWU's  Economic Independence Calculator that informs me that a single-parent household in Boston, MA with two preschoolers (like many families I know) need as least $65,238 just to get by. That means just the basics: no emergency funds, no trips to the zoo, no fancy shoes…just the basics, thank you. I also know to get those middle-skills jobs the President spoke of that pay at least $30/hour, at least two years higher education or training is an inescapable must for families to stay afloat.

Yet, when so many low-income—and even middle class—families are faced with rapidly increasing tuition rates and high-interest student loans, something has to give. I was fascinated to learn during the enhanced version of the SOTU online, complete with charts and graphs, that student load debt exceeds credit card debt in the US by $172 billion.

Yes, that's billion…with a "B." It is definitely time for a change.

Some reforms President Obama outlined:

• High school students should be required to remain in school through graduation or at least until they turn 18
• Congress must vote to stop the interest rates on Stafford loans from doubling July 1,2012
• Congress must vote to Extend the The American Opportunity Tax Credit which is set to expire at the end of 2012
• Colleges must double the number of work-study jobs for students in the next five years
• Colleges must work to keep tuition costs down

While I'm yet uncertain about the support all of the proposed  regulations and incentives President Obama sketched in his speech (let alone how it's going to be funded and regulated), I agree very much with the intent: making higher education more accessible and affordable for all. Our future depends upon it!

If you missed it, check out the enhanced State of the Union address:

Kirsten Athena Blocker
Web Marketing Manager
Crittenton Women's Union

The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own and don't necessarily represent the views or strategies of Crittenton Women's Union.