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President Barack Obama keeps on insisting to make college affordability. It is the main theme of his domestic policy agenda. He addressed the Members of the National Governors Association on 27th Feb. he restate his views he stressed in his State of the union address last month- that higher education is more important for every American and for the economic future of the nation and that increasing tuition makes college education unaffordable for many.

However, Obama’s address to campus leaders has focused on college’s responsibility to keep their costs under control. He warned colleges that the colleges that do not take steps to control increasing tuition would face federal cuts. He reiterated this in governors’ meeting by saying that states need to share more responsibility for controlling tuition costs.

President said to the governors that their decisions on where to make investment clearly signals what they value. He urges the governors to make more investment in education. He described college affordability problem as a shared responsibility. The administration has plans to do it by increasing federal funds on Pell grants and other student aids.

However, it is not possible to keep on increasing federal funds to subsidize increasing tuition. If tuition is raising faster than inflation and health care costs, then we will end up running out of money sooner or later, no matter how much we subsidize tuition. Hence, all should take the responsibility.

The president restated that he had warned colleges and universities that if they are not taking some steps to prevent tuition from increasing, then federal funds from tax payers would be going down.

States also need to do their part by giving preference to higher education in their budget. More than two thirds of students attend public colleges and universities, where tuition has been affordable in the past due to state investments. More than 40 states have reduced funding for higher education over the past years.

Reduction in state support for higher education is one of the reasons that put higher education out of reach of many Americans. Obama said that unless the states do more, the college affordability problem, no matter how much his administration does and congress does.

Robert L. Moran, director of federal relations, American Association of State colleges and universities said that his members were inspired by Obama’s remarks. His remarks signal that the president is not only keeping their feet to the fire, but also keeps the fire on the feet of the state legislators and governors. If state support is reduced, tuition will go up. The president has little control over state policies and preferences, so his speech matters.

The president seemed to respond directly to the criticism of Rick Santorum. Santorum called President a snob last week, for wishing all Americans to go to college. He said that many people are there in the country and are proud of their skills, which were not taught by some college professors. Obama said to the governors that he is not just talking about a four year degree. Higher education includes community college programs.