0822 College AffordabilityBuffalo.docx

0822 College AffordabilityBuffalo.docx

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0822CollegeAffordabilityBuffalo

RemarksbythePresidentonCollegeAffordability

StateUniversityofNewYorkBuffalo

THEPRESIDENT:

Hello,Buffalo!

Hello,Bulls!

Well,itisgoodtobebackinBuffalo,goodtobebackinthenorth.

IwanttobeginbymakingsureweallthankSilvanaforthewonderfulintroduction.Giveherabigroundofapplause.Hermomanddadareheresomewhere.Wherearethey?

Iknowthey’reprettyproud.Theretheyarerightthere.Givemomanddadabigroundofapplause.

AnumberofotherpeopleIwanttoacknowledgehere--firstofall,ourSecretaryofEducation,ArneDuncan,who’sdoingagreatjob.Oneofthefinestgovernorsinthecountry,yourGovernor,AndrewCuomo,ishere.YouroutstandingMayor,BrianHiggins,ishere.Givehimabigroundofapplause.

AUDIENCE:

Congressman!

THEPRESIDENT:

What?

AUDIENCE:

TheMayorisByronBrown!

THEPRESIDENT:

ByronBrown.That's--I'msorry,Byron.WhatImeantwas--yourCongressman,BrianHiggins,ishere.YourMayor,ByronBrown,ishere.Thisiswhathappenswhenyougettobe52yearsold.WhenIwas51everythingwassmooth.ButyourCongressmanandyourMayoraredoingoutstandingwork.Wejustrodeonthebusoverfromtheairport,andtheyweretellingmethatBuffaloisonthemove.Thatwasthestory.（Applause.）

AcoupleotherpeopleIwanttoacknowledge--SUNYChancellorNancyZimpher,ishere,doingagreatjob.UniversitypresidentSatishTripathiishere.Andwe'vegotallthestudentsinthehouse.Thankallthestudentsforbeinghere.

Now,todayisacheck-indayatthedorms.SoIwanttothankallthestudentsfortakingafewminutesfromsettingupyourfutonsand--（laughter）--yourmini-fridgesjusttocomeouthere.IhearthatthelastsittingPresidenttospeakherewasMillardFillmore.Andhewasactuallychancelloroftheuniversityatthesametime--whichsoundsfun,butI’vegotenoughonmyplate.

Thisisourfirststoponatwo-dayroadtripthroughNewYorkandPennsylvania.AndafterthisIheadtoSyracuse--yay,Syracuse--tospeakwithsomehighschoolers.TomorrowI'mgoingtovisitSUNYBinghamtonandLackawannaCollegeinScranton.ButIwantedtostarthereatUniversityatBuffalo.

AndIwantedtodoitforacouplereasons.First,Iknowyou’refocusedonthefuture.AsIsaid,talkingtotheMayor,hewasdescribinganewmedicalschool--andnewopportunitiesforthehigh-techjobsoftomorrow.Sothere’sgreatworkbeingdoneatthisinstitution.IalsoknowthateverybodyheremustbefearlessbecausethefootballteamkicksoffagainstNumber2,OhioState,nextweekend.Goodluck,guys.It’sgoingtobeagreatexperience.It’sgoingtobeagreatexperience.Itcouldbeanupset.

Andthird,andmostimportantly,Iknowthattheyoungpeopleherearecommittedtoearningyourdegree,tohelpingthisuniversitytomakesurethateveryoneofyou“FinishesinFour”--makessurethatyou'repreparedforwhatevercomesnext.Andthat’swhatIwanttotalkaboutheretoday.

Overthelastmonth,I’vebeenvisitingtownsacrossthecountry,talkingabout--yes,feelfreetositdown.Getcomfortable.

AUDIENCEMEMBER:

Weloveyou!

THEPRESIDENT:

Thankyou.Iloveyou,too.

OverthelastmonthI'vebeenouttheretalkingaboutwhatweneedtodoasacountrytomakesurethatwe'vegotabetterbargainforthemiddleclassandeverybodywho’sworkinghardtogetintothemiddleclass--anationalstrategytomakesurethateverybodywhoworkshardhasachancetosucceedinthis21stcenturyeconomy.

Now,Ithinkallofushereknowthatforthepastfourandahalfyears,we’vebeenfightingbackfromabrutalrecessionthatcostmillionsofAmericanstheirjobsandtheirhomesandtheirsavings.Butwhattherecessionalsodidwasitshowedthatfortoolongwe'veseenanerosionofmiddle-classsecurity.So,together,wesavedtheautoindustry.Together,wetookonabrokenhealthcaresystem.Weinvestedinnewtechnologies.Westartedreversingouraddictiontoforeignoil.Wechangedataxcodethatwastiltedtofarinfavorofthewealthyattheexpenseofworkingfamilies.

Andadditallup,todayourbusinesseshavecreated7.3millionnewjobsoverthelast41months.Wenowgeneratemorerenewableenergythaneverbefore.WesellmoregoodsmadeinAmericatotherestoftheworldthanever.Healthcarecostsaregrowingattheslowestratein50years.Ourdeficitsarefallingatthefastestratein60years.

HereinBuffalo,theGovernorandtheMayorweredescribingoverabilliondollarsininvestment,riverfrontbeingchanged,constructionbooming--signsofprogress.

SothankstothegritandtheresilienceoftheAmericanpeople,we’veclearedawaytherubblefromthefinancialcrisis.We’vestartedtolaythefoundationforastronger,moredurableeconomicgrowth.

Butasanymiddle-classfamilywilltellyou,asfolkshereinBuffalowilltellyou,we’renotwhereweneedtobeyet.Becauseevenbeforethecrisishit--anditsoundslikeBuffaloknowssomethingaboutthis--wewerelivingthroughadecadewhereafewatthetopweredoingbetterandbetter,mostfamilieswereworkingharderandharderjusttogetby.Manufacturingwasleaving,jobsmovingoverseas,losingourcompetitiveedge.Andit’sastruggleforalotoffolks.

Soreversingthistrendshouldbe,mustbe,Washington’shighestpriority.It’smyhighestpriority.I’vegottosayit’snotalwaysWashington’shighestpriority.Becauseratherthankeepingfocusonagrowingeconomythatcreatesgoodmiddle-classjobs,we’veseenafactionofRepublicansinCongresssuggestthatmaybeAmericashouldn’tpayitsbillsthathavealreadybeenrunup,thatweshutdowngovernmentiftheycan’tshutdownObamacare.

AUDIENCE:

Booo--

THEPRESIDENT:

Thatwon’tgrowoureconomy.Thatwon’tcreatejobs.Thatwon’thelpourmiddleclass.Wecan’taffordinWashingtontheusualcircusofdistractionsandpoliticalposturing.Wecan'taffordthatrightnow.

WhatweneedistobuildonthecornerstonesofwhatitmeanstobemiddleclassinAmerica,focusonthat--agoodjobwithgoodwages,agoodeducation,ahomeofyourown,affordablehealthcare,asecureretirement.Bread-and-butter,pocketbookissuesthatyoucareabouteverysingleday;thatyou’rethinkingabouteverysingleday.Andwe’vegottocreatemorepathwaysintothemiddleclassforfolkswhoarewillingtoworkforit.That’swhat’salwaysmadeAmericagreat.It’snotjusthowmanybillionairesweproduce,butourabilitytogiveeverybodywhoworkshardthechancetopursuetheirownmeasureofhappiness.That'swhatAmericaisallabout.

Now,therearen’tmanythingsthataremoreimportanttothatideaofeconomicmobility--theideathatyoucanmakeitifyoutry--thanagoodeducation.Allthestudentshereknowthat.That’swhyyou’rehere.That’swhyyourfamilieshavemadebigsacrifices--becauseweunderstandthatinthefaceofgreaterandgreaterglobalcompetition,inaknowledge-basedeconomy,agreateducationismoreimportantthanever.

Ahighereducationisthesinglebestinvestmentyoucanmakeinyourfuture.AndI’mproudofallthestudentswhoaremakingthatinvestment.Andthat’snotjustmesayingit.Look,rightnow,theunemploymentrateforAmericanswithatleastacollegedegreeisaboutone-thirdlowerthanthenationalaverage.TheincomesoffolkswhohaveatleastacollegedegreearemorethantwicethoseofAmericanswithoutahighschooldiploma.Somorethaneverbefore,someformofhighereducationisthesurestpathintothemiddleclass.

ButwhatIwanttotalkabouttodayiswhat’sbecomeabarrierandaburdenfortoomanyAmericanfamilies--andthatisthesoaringcostofhighereducation.

Thisissomethingthateverybodyknowsyouneed--acollegeeducation.Ontheotherhand,collegehasneverbeenmoreexpensive.Overthepastthreedecades,theaveragetuitionatapublicfour-yearcollegehasgoneupbymorethan250percent--250percent.Now,atypicalfamily'sincomehasonlygoneup16percent.Sothinkaboutthat--tuitionhasgoneup250percent;incomegoneup16percent.That’sabiggap.

Now,it'struethatalotofuniversitieshavetriedtoprovidefinancialaidandwork-studyprograms.Andsonoteverystudent--infact,moststudentsareprobablynotpayingthestickerpriceoftuition.Weunderstandthat.Butwhatwealsounderstandisthatifit'sgoingup250[percent]andyourincomesareonlygoingup16[percent],atsomepoint,familiesarehavingtomakeupsomeofthedifference,orstudentsarehavingtomakeupsomeofthedifferencewithdebt.

Andmeanwhile,overthepastfewyears,stateshavebeencuttingbackontheirhighereducationbudgets.NewYorkhasdonebetterthanalotofstates,butthefactisthatwe'vebeenspendingmoremoneyonprisons,lessmoneyoncollege.Andmeanwhile,notenoughcollegeshavebeenworkingtofigureouthowdowecontrolcosts,howdowecutbackoncosts.Soallthissticksittostudents,sticksittofamilies,butalso,taxpayersenduppayingabiggerprice.

Theaveragestudentwhoborrowsforcollegenowgraduatesowingmorethan$26,000.Someowealotmorethanthat.AndI’veheardfromalotoftheseyoungpeoplewhoarefrustratedthatthey’vedoneeverythingthey'resupposedtodo--gotgoodgradesinhighschool,appliedtocollege,didwellinschool--butnowtheycomeout,they'vegotthiscrushingdebtthat’scripplingtheirsenseofself-relianceandtheirdreams.Itbecomeshardtostartafamilyandbuyahomeifyou'reservicing$1,000worthofdebteverymonth.Itbecomeshardertostartabusinessifyouareservicing$1,000worthofdebteverymonth,right?

Andmeanwhile,parents,you'rehavingtomakesacrifices,whichm