US: Obama throws weight behind higher education

President Barack Obama pledged support to re-establish America as the global leader in higher education in his State of the Union address last week, reports The Huffington Post. The president decried higher education budget cuts, which have become all the more common as states try to balance their coffers. "Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine," he said.

Education would not be included in the five-year spending freeze he outlined before Congress.

According to a White House fact sheet on the speech, Obama has several plans in motion to make college more affordable, including a bolstered Pell Grant programme, more affordable student loans and the permanent establishment of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Obama also noted that reforming immigration laws is key in raising America's status as an education leader.
Full report on the Huffington Post site