Barack Obama became known for his web presence during his Presidential campaign. He and his transition team have kept up this reputation through YouTube addresses and websites such as Change.gov, the official transitional website. Now the Obama transition team is asking for public comments--or at least blog comments--on issues related to paying for school. A post on the Change.gov blog is currently soliciting feedback about college affordability. While there's no guarantee that the President-elect himself will read your post, if you would like to weigh in on educational policy at least in a small way, you can view and comment on the January 5 Change.gov blog post "Keeping College Affordable."
The blog post, along with many other recent discussions of college costs, makes a nod to former Rhode Island senator Clairborne Pell, who passed away on January 1. Pell was instrumental in shaping the current federal student financial aid system by helping create the Federal Pell Grant, which was named after him. Pell Grants continue to make up an important part of the financial aid packages of many students, covering up to the full cost of tuition at some state and community colleges.
However, as tuition costs rise, Pell Grants and other sources of federal aid are not enough to make college affordable for an increasingly large number of students. During his campaign, Obama proposed a few substantial changes to the way college financial aid is structured, and hopefully his administration will do more to seek out and act upon feedback from those who are struggling with the costs associated with higher education. However, if you're skeptical, or just looking for more immediate ways to make college affordable, there are resources available. Start with a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Many scholarship application deadlines are approaching in the coming months, but there is still abundant scholarship money for those who take the time to apply.
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