Arne on Thanking Teachers and College Debt

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley

Arne sat down last week to answer a couple of questions and comments he received on his Facebook page. Ginger and Adriana wrote about thanking great teachers, and Arne encouraged others to take time and thank their teachers. “Whether you graduated last year, whether you are still in school, or whether you are 50 years out of high school,” he said, “it is never too late to go back and say thank you.”

Jamie left a comment for Arne that described the stress associated with having significant college debt. Duncan noted that on the front end the Obama administration has taken big steps in increasing Pell Grants, including doubling funding for Pell Grants within the last couple of years. For those in repayment, the Administration recently announced a pay-as-you-earn program, which could reduce loan payments by hundreds per month for those who qualify. Duncan explained that college can’t be for the wealthy only, and that while the Obama administration has made tremendous progress, “there is a lot of hard work ahead of us.”


Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.

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One Response to Arne on Thanking Teachers and College Debt

  1. Tania says:
    December 17, 2011 at 12:08 am

    Continuous rounds of budget cuts are hitting our college bound students exceptionally hard. The activities they need as resume builders are being slashed, so only kids who can afford them are able to partake. Job prospects post-college are not encouraging to students or parents looking at taking on the large debt associated with college education, so it is discouraging some from applying to more expensive schools and some on the economic margins are just delaying college altogether. Only those who are confident that they can pay for school are comfortable taking the plunge.

    I hope we can address this issue by finding creative ways to restore budget for college prep activities and improving the job prospects for college grads. I like the idea mentioned of proportional payment of student loans. This could help ease students’ and parents’ minds that graduates won’t be trapped in an impossible debt situation just as the start their adult lives.