Remarks by the President on America's College Promise

Pellissippi State Community College
Knoxville, Tennessee

2:05 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Hey!  Thank you!  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Please have a seat.  Well, it is good to be back in Tennessee.  I hope you guys aren’t getting tired of me.  I’ve been coming around a lot lately, because there’s a lot of good stuff happening here. 

I want to begin by thanking Joe and Jill Biden.  They’re not just good friends and good partners, but they really believe in the power of education and they really believe in creating those kinds of ladders of opportunity that gave all three of us and Michelle the chances, the incredible opportunities that we’ve had today.  And they understand the promise of America’s community colleges.  Well, Jill really understands it, and Joe -- (laughter) -- he doesn’t really have a choice.

Before I get into the reason that I’m here today, I want to begin by saying just a few words about the tragic events that we’ve watched unfold in France over the last several hours and days.  And because events have been fast-moving this morning, I wanted to make sure to comment on them.

I just spoke to my counterterrorism advisor.  We have been in close touch with the French government throughout this tragedy.  The moment that the outrageous attack took place, we directed all of our law enforcement and counterintelligence operations to provide whatever support that our ally needs in confronting this challenge.  We’re hopeful that the immediate threat is now resolved, thanks to the courage and professionalism of the French personnel on the ground. 

But the French government continues to face the threat of terrorism and has to remain vigilant.  The situation is fluid.  President Hollande has made it clear that they’re going to do whatever is necessary to protect their people.  And I think it’s important for us to understand:  France is our oldest ally.  I want the people of France to know that the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have been directly impacted.  We grieve with you.  We fight alongside you to uphold our values, the values that we share -- universal values that bind us together as friends and as allies. 

And in the streets of Paris, the world has seen once again what terrorists stand for.  They have nothing to offer but hatred and human suffering.  And we stand for freedom and hope and the dignity of all human beings.  And that’s what the city of Paris represents to the world, and that spirit will endure forever -- long after the scourge of terrorism is banished from this world.  (Applause.) 

Now, I’m in Knoxville not only because I just like Knoxville, but I’m here today because one of my resolutions is to make sure that folks across this great country feel like they are coming back.  And there is no doubt:  Thanks to the steps we took early on to rescue our economy and to rebuild it on a new foundation, America is coming back.  (Applause.) 

Now, I’m not running for office anymore, so let me just present the facts.  I promised that 2014 would be a breakthrough year for America.  This morning, we got more evidence to back that up.  In December, our businesses created 240,000 new jobs.  Our unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent, which is the lowest in six and a half years.  What that means is, 2014 was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.  (Applause.)  Unemployment fell in 2014 faster than any year since 1984.  Now, think about that.  It’s been 30 years since unemployment fell as fast as it did last year.  And most importantly, we’re seeing faster job growth in industries that provide good-paying jobs, traditionally middle-class jobs, than anything else. 

Since 2010, the United States of America has create more jobs than Europe, Japan, and every other advanced economy combined.  (Applause.)  American manufacturing is in its best stretch of job growth since the 1990s.  We’re actually seeing companies insourcing instead of outsourcing.  They’re realizing, we want to be here with American workers making American products.  America is now the world’s number-one producer in oil, gas.  We’ve doubled the production of clean energy.  And, by the way, you’re saving about a buck-ten a gallon at the pump over this time last year.  (Applause.) 

Although I keep on reminding folks, gas prices, they go up and they come down and then they go up.  (Laughter.)  So I just want everybody to know that you should enjoy this.  Take the money you’re saving, pay off the credit card or go get a new appliance, or buy a fuel-efficient car -- (laughter) -- so that when prices go back up, you’re still well-positioned.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, about 10 million Americans have gained health insurance over the past year.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, we’ve done this while cutting our deficits by about two-thirds.  Everybody thinks that -- (applause) -- they did a survey -- in every survey, they ask, is the deficit going up or going down?  And 70 percent of Americans say that the deficit is going up.  The deficit has come down by two-thirds since I took office.  (Applause.) 

Meanwhile, thanks to the hard work of students and educators, dropout rates are down, graduation rates are up.  And after 13 long years, our war in Afghanistan has come to a responsible end, and we’ve got more troops that were home this holiday season.  (Applause.) 

So I say all this because these six years have demanded a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice on everybody’s part.  And as a country, we’ve got every right to be proud of what we’ve got to show for it.  America’s resurgence is real.  And now that we’ve seen calmer waters economically, if we all do our part, if we all pitch in, then we can start making sure that all boats are actually lifted again, and wages and incomes start rising again.  And we can make sure that the middle class is the engine that powers America’s prosperity just as it always has.

So that’s going to be the focus of my State of the Union address in a couple weeks.  I wanted to give you a little preview.  Don’t tell anybody I said this.  (Laughter.)  I’m giving you the inside scoop.  That’s going to be the essence of my message:  How do we build on the progress that we’ve made?  And I figured, why wait for the State of the Union?  Why stand on formalities; let’s get the ball rolling right now.

Two days ago, I visited Michigan, where workers have brought the auto industry roaring back.  And we talked about what else we can do around advanced manufacturing.  Yesterday, I was in Arizona, where I announced new actions to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more middle-class families.  Later today, Joe and I are going to head to a company in Clinton to take action that will develop high-tech industry even further here in Tennessee.  And right here, right now, at Pellissippi State, I’m going to announce one of my most important State of the Union proposals, and that’s helping every American afford a higher education.  (Applause.) 

Now, part of the reason I wanted to come here was because Tennessee is at the forefront of doing some really smart stuff.  (Applause.)  And we’ve got some proud Tennesseans who can take some credit for the great work that’s been done.  First, your Governor, Bill Haslam, who’s here.  (Applause.)  Your two very fine senators, -- you’ve got Bob Corker -- (applause) -- and your senior Senator, Lamar Alexander, who’s a former Secretary of Education himself, so he knows a little bit about this.  (Applause.)  You’ve got Congressman John Duncan.  (Applause.)  Your Mayor, Madeline Rogero.  (Applause.)  And we've got Pellissippi’s president, Anthony Wise.  (Applause.)  Hey!  And we've got all of you.  (Laughter.)  

Now, Joe and Jill both already touched on these themes, but let me just amplify them a little bit.  Here in America we don't guarantee equal outcomes.  Some folks work harder; some folks don't.  Some folks take advantage of opportunities; some folks don't.  Some people have good luck; some people have bad luck and things don't always work out where everything is perfectly equal.  But we do expect that everybody gets an equal shot.  We do expect everybody can go as far as their dreams and hard work will take them. 

We don't expect anybody to be bound by the circumstances of their birth.  If they were, I wouldn't be here, and neither would Joe.  Jill -- she’s so accomplished she would have succeeded no matter what.  (Laughter.)  But we expect everybody to get a fair shot.  And in exchange, we do our fair share.  That's the basic bargain at the heart of this country:  If you work hard, you can get ahead.  It shouldn’t matter what your last name is, or what we look like, or what family we were born into, or how we worship.  What matters is effort and merit.  That's the promise of America. 

And the way we deliver on that is making sure that our education system works on behalf of every person who lives here.  America thrived in the 20th century in large part because we made high school the norm, and then we sent a generation to college on the GI Bill -- including my grandfather.  Then we dedicated ourselves to cultivating the most educated workforce in the world and we invested in what’s one of the crown jewels of this country, and that's our higher education system.  And dating back to Abraham Lincoln, we invested in land-grant colleges.  We understood that this was a hallmark of America, this investment in education.

But eventually, the world caught on and the world caught up.  And that’s why we have to lead the world in education again.  That’s why my administration is working to make high-quality early childhood education available to all of our kids.  (Applause.)  We know if we invest in them early, that it pays dividends on the backend.

That's why we're working to bring high-speed broadband to 99 percent of America’s students within the next four years.  We want to make sure every child is plugged in.  That's why we're recruiting more highly trained math and science teachers.  That's why we’re working to raise standards and invest more in our elementary and middle and high schools, so that every young person is prepared for a competitive world. 

And this work is not easy.  Sometimes it's controversial. It's not going to be the same in every state.  But in places like Tennessee, we're seeing incredible strides as a consequence of these efforts.  Over the past few years, Tennessee students have improved their reading scores and math scores more than any other state in the country.  (Applause.)  That’s a credit to their hard work, their teachers’ hard work, to Governor Haslam’s hard work, leaders from both parties.  It's been a bipartisan effort.  Every Tennessean should be proud of that. 

And today, in a 21st century economy, where your most valuable asset is your knowledge, the single most important way to get ahead is not just to get a high school education, you’ve got to get some higher education.  That’s why all of you are here.

Now, the value of an education is not purely instrumental.  Education helps us be better people.  It helps us be better citizens.  You came to college to learn about the world and to engage with new ideas and to discover the things you’re passionate about -- and maybe have a little fun.  (Laughter.)  And to expand your horizons.  That’s terrific -- that’s a huge part of what college has to offer. 

But you’re also here, now more than ever, because a college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class.  It is the key to getting a good job that pays a good income -- and to provide you the security where even if you don't have the same job for 30 years, you're so adaptable and you have a skill set and the capacity to learn new skills, it ensures you're always employable.

And that is the key not just for individual Americans, that’s the key for this whole country’s ability to compete in the global economy.  In the new economy, jobs and businesses will go wherever the most skilled, best-educated workforce resides.  Because businesses are mobile now.  Technology means they can locate anywhere.  And where they have the most educated, most adaptable, most nimble workforce, that's where they’re going to locate.  And I want them to look no further than the United States of America.  I want them coming right here.  I want those businesses here, and I want the American people to be able to get those businesses -- or get those jobs that those businesses create. 

So that’s why we’ve increased grants and took on a student loan system that was funneling billions of taxpayer dollars through big banks, and said let’s cut out the middleman, let’s give them directly to students instead, we can help more students. 

We’ve increased scholarships.  We've cut taxes for people paying tuition.  We've let students cap their federal student loan payments at 10 percent of income so that they can borrow with confidence, particularly if you're going into a job like nursing or teaching that may not pay a huge salary but that's where your passions are. 

We’re creating a new college ratings system that will give parents and students the kind of clear, concise information you need to shop around for a school with the best value for you -- and gives us the capacity to recognize schools that offer a great education at a reasonable price. 

On the flight over here, Lamar and I were talking about how we can do more to simplify the application process for federal student loans, which is still too complicated.  (Applause.) 

So we've done a lot of good work over the last six years; we're going to keep at it.  But today, I want to focus on a centerpiece of my education agenda -- and that’s the community colleges, like this one. 

For millions of Americans, community colleges are essential pathways to the middle class because they’re local, they’re flexible.  They work for people who work full-time.  They work for parents who have to raise kids full-time.  They work for folks who have gone as far as their skills will take them and want to earn new ones, but don’t have the capacity to just suddenly go study for four years and not work.  Community colleges work for veterans transitioning back into civilian life.  Whether you’re the first in your family to go to college, or coming back to school after many years away, community colleges find a place for you.  And you can get a great education. 

Now, Jill has been teaching English at community colleges for 20 years.  She started when she was like 15.  (Laughter.)  And she’s still full-time today.  And she sees -- I talk to her and she talks about her students, and she can see the excitement and the promise, and sometimes the fear of being a 32-year-old mom who’s going back to school and never finished the degree that she had started, and life got in the way and now she’s coming back and suddenly getting a whole new skills set and seeing a whole range of career options opening up to her.  It’s exciting. 

And that’s what community colleges are all about -- the idea that no one with drive and discipline should be left out, should be locked out of opportunity, and certainly that nobody with that drive and discipline should be denied a college education just because they don’t have the money.  Every American, whether they’re young or just young at heart, should be able to earn the skills and education necessary to compete and win in the 21st century economy.

So today I’m announcing an ambitious new plan to bring down the cost of community college tuition in America.  I want to bring it down to zero.  (Applause.)  We’re going to -- I want to make it free.  (Applause.)  I want to make it free.  Community colleges should be free for those willing to work for it -- because in America, a quality education cannot be a privilege that is reserved for a few.  I think it’s a right for everybody who’s willing to work for it.

Now, the good news is, you already do something like this in Tennessee.  You call it Tennessee Promise.  (Applause.)  So you call it Tennessee Promise, and we thought why not just build on what works.  So we’re going to call it “America’s College Promise.”  (Applause.)   

And the concept is simple:  America’s College Promise will make two years of community college free to responsible students who are willing to work for it.  Now, I want to underscore that last clause -- everybody who’s working hard for it.  There are no free rides in America.  You would have to earn it.  Students would have to do their part by keeping their grades up.  Colleges would have to do their part by offering high-quality academics and helping students actually graduate.  States would have to do their part too.  This isn’t a blank check.  It’s not a free lunch.  But for those willing to do the work, and for states and local communities that want to be a part of this, it can be a game-changer.

Think about it:  Students who started at community colleges during those two years, and then go on to a four-year institution, they essentially get the first half of their bachelor’s degree for free.  People who enroll for skills training will graduate already ready to work, and they won’t have a pile of student debt.  Two years of college will become as free and universal as high school is today. 

Now, we’re also taking another page out of Tennessee’s playbook and making investments to expand technical training programs at community colleges, much like you do through your 27 Colleges of Applied Technology.  (Applause.)  Joe did a terrific job running a task force that we put together just to look at the job training and technical training systems all around the country.  And at a time when jobs are changing, and higher wages call for higher skills, we’ve got to make sure workers have a chance to get those skills. 

We want young people to graduate with real-world training that leads directly to good jobs, and we want older workers to get retrained so they can compete.  And we want more women and minorities to get jobs in fields that traditionally they’ve been left out of, like science and technology, and engineering and math.  And we want to connect community colleges with employers, because when that’s done right, these partnerships pay off for everybody:  Students learn on the job, employers get access to talent, colleges get help designing courses that actually prepare people for the workplace, all of which creates better pathways to today’s middle class.  So we’re going to find the programs that work and we’re going to help them grow. 

Now, in a few weeks, I’m going to send to Congress my plan for free community college.  I hope that Congress will come together to support it, because opening the doors of higher education shouldn’t be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue.  This is an American issue.  (Applause.)   

Governor Haslam is a Republican.  And thanks to his leadership, last year Democrats and Republicans came together and made Tennessee the first state in decades to offer free community college to its students.  Meanwhile, up in my hometown of Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is a Democrat, is now offering free community college, and they’re pairing students with growing sectors of the economy so they graduate with good jobs.  So if a state with Republican leadership is doing this and a city with Democratic leadership is doing this, then how about we all do it?  Let’s do it for our future.  (Applause.)  

And as I said before, there are a bunch of good bipartisan ideas out there.  A few days ago, Senator Alexander joined forces with a Democratic Senator, Michael Bennet, to introduce the legislation that would make financial aid forms simpler.  I noticed a lot of people applauded, because it’s been a while since I filled it out -- (laughter) -- but I understand there’s more than 100 questions on it.  It just shouldn’t be that hard to apply for aid for college.  And so I’ve committed to working with Senator Alexander.  Let’s shrink it down.  Let’s make life a little easier for millions of families.  The point is, we’re not going to agree on everything.  But simplifying that form, that’s something we should be able to agree on.  Let’s get that done this year.  (Applause.) 

Because in the end, nothing is more important to our country than you, our people.  That’s our asset.  We’ve got very nice real estate here.  We’ve got this incredible bounty, the God-given resources that we enjoy in this country.  But our greatest resources are people. 

And I want to say to the students here and the staff and faculty how proud I am of what you guys are doing.  A lot of students here, I know you had to overcome some obstacles to get here.  Many of you are the first in your families to go to college.  Some of you are working full time while you’re going to school.  But you’re making this investment in you, and by doing that, you’re making an investment in this country’s future.

And I just want to use one person’s story as an example, Caitlin McLawhorn.  Where’s Caitlin?  Where is she?  Is she here?  I thought she was here a second ago, but I’m going to tell her story anyway. 

She was raised by a single mom.  She helped make ends meet, getting her first job almost the minute she could, two days after her 16th birthday.  When it came time for college, the money wasn’t there.  But Caitlin lives in Tennessee, so she knew she had a great, free option.  She completed two years at this institution.  Now she’s a senior at Maryville College.  She’s working full-time, just like she has since her first day of college.  And Caitlin says, “A lot of people like me got discouraged.  I get discouraged.  But I can look back and say, you’ve made it so far.  I’ve learned that things aren’t always what you want, but you can make them what you want.”  That’s wisdom.

“Things aren’t always what you want, but you can make them what you want.”  That’s what America is about.  We can make of our lives what we will.  And there are going to be bumps, and there are going to be challenges.  And we’ve come through some very hard times.  Things aren’t always what we wanted, but we have overcome discouragement and we have overcome division and, sometimes, some discord.  And we don’t give up.  We get up, we fight back, we come back stronger than before. 

Thanks to the hard work of the American people, the United States of America is coming back.  And I’ve never been as confident as -- in my entire life that we’re going to make of our future what we want of it thanks to you. 

Appreciate it, Tennessee.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.) 

END  
2:38 P.M. EST

Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz en route Tennessee, 1/9/15

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Knoxville, Tennessee 

11:22 A.M. EST

MR. SCHULTZ:  Welcome aboard.  Thank you for joining us as we wrap up a rather newsy week, previewing some of the President’s proposals that he'll describe in the State of the Union address later this month.  As you know, we're headed to Knoxville, Tennessee, right now where we'll be joined by the Vice President and Dr. Biden to unveil the President’s plan to make two years of community college free for all responsible students no matter their age.

The President believes now is the time to make two years of college as universal as high school.  This proposal is part of the President’s vision for how we can continue to lead the world economically in the 21st century and to help grow the middle class.

Specifically, we're headed to Tennessee right now because Governor Haslam launched a program to provide free community college to all Tennessee students over a year ago.  In its first year, almost 90 percent of graduating high school seniors applied.  The Tennessee Promise program served as an inspiration for the President’s proposal.  It demonstrates that this proposal that we're talking about today is both ambitious and achievable.

In addition, today the President is also going to announce the American Technical Training Fund.  This fund is designed to help high-potential, low-wage workers gain the skills they need to work in fields with significant numbers of middle-class jobs such as IT, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Lastly, later today we're going to travel to Clinton, Tennessee, to announce the latest manufacturing hub, a series of public-private partnerships aimed at boosting advanced manufacturing, fostering innovation, and attracting well-paying jobs that will strengthen the middle class.  This is also going to be an occasion for the cynics amongst us to memorialize it -- at the end of last year, Congress came together in a bipartisan bill to pass support for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.  As you know, the legislation proves that strengthening American manufacturing is something that we can all agree on.

With that, I'm happy to take your questions.

Q    The Nebraska court has thrown out the Keystone case.  How quickly might we see a decision to the President?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Thank you, Nedra.  I saw the court ruling.  But our posture and our position hasn’t changed.  This is a process that is still underway at the State Department.  I don't have any updates for you on that process.  As you know, it's undergoing rigorous review, and we're going to wait for that review to be concluded before the President makes any decisions.

Q    What are issues that are still outstanding at this point, though?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Again, I'm going to refer you to the State Department for sort of the rigorous criteria that they are looking at when evaluating this project.  That process is one that predates this administration -- it goes back decades.  It's part of a precedent of administrations of both parties.  So we're going to let that process unfold in regular order.

Q    What Josh had stressed over the last week or so was the court case in Nebraska was holding up being able to know what the route was, like that was the thing that he said was holding everything up.  So now that that's gone, shouldn’t things move quickly?

MR. SCHULTZ:  You're right, Josh did stress that.  He also stressed that this process is still housed at the State Department.  So I don't have an update on the timeline for you, but you are right that now that the route has been more determined, the State Department can continue their process to evaluate it.

Q    Does this change the President’s threat to veto the legislation in the Senate?

MR. SCHULTZ:  It does not, sir.  The President believes that the process should unfold at the State Department and that any legislative end-run around that process is misguided, and he will veto that bill.

Q    Is the President telling the State Department they should go ahead and accelerate this review to get this behind us?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Again, the process at the State Department is unfolding in regular order, and that’s still ongoing.

Q    You called it an end-run around Congress.  Doesn’t Congress have the power to do exactly what they’re trying to do in conjunction with the President? 

MR. SCHULTZ:  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean an end-run around Congress.  This would have been an end-run around the approval process.

Q    That’s what I’m saying.  Doesn’t Congress have that power to pass laws?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Congress definitely has the power to pass laws.  What we believe is this is a process that predates this administration, that this is a process that is housed at the State Department, that has gone on for decades.  And we believe that’s the regular course of business that this project should be evaluated under.

Q    Can I ask you about what’s going on in Paris right now and the extent to which the President has been updated on that, how recently, and what the United States is doing specifically to assist the French?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Sure.  The President was updated this morning. As you know, before we left the White House, he had his Presidential Daily Briefing.  I can assure you that this was a topic of expansive conversation in that session.  The President has been kept up to date as the situation warrants.  I can also tell you that White House officials and administration officials from the agencies have been in touch with their French counterparts almost minute by minute as this situation unfolds.

Q    -- hear what’s happening on the plane?  During this flight there seems to have been some significant developments.

MR. SCHULTZ:  I can tell you the President continues to get updates as the situation warrants.

Q    Are we getting any more information about the Paris attackers themselves and whether there’s a Yemen connection?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Obviously, Steve, the situation there is very fluid, so I’m not going to get ahead of either the situation or the French government.  I’ll refer you to the French authorities for any information on that.

Q    But just to -- is he watching the news coverage here on the plane, can you say?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I don’t know. 

Q    Can you find out?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I’m happy to try. 

Q    Senators Alexander and Corker are on board today.  Does this imply some level of support for the program the President is announcing today?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Yes, thank you for asking.  Senators Corker, Alexander and Congressman Duncan are all on the flight with us today.  You’ll have to ask them for their position on this.  We do appreciate the bipartisan interest in this.  Obviously, this is something that was spearheaded by a Republican governor in Tennessee.  There’s a similar program under Mayor Emanuel in Chicago.  So we believe -- we take Republicans at their word when they say that there’s interest in education, and so we look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans on this.

Q    Has the White House team been talking to members of Congress about this at all?  Is the President talking to these two senators about it today?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Sure.  We’re in constant touch with Republicans and Democrats on the Hill on this.  Obviously, the national conversation on this starts today, so I don’t have a very detailed legislative strategy to read out to you at this moment, but this is something we’re going to be working hard on.

Q    Let me just ask you this other question.  This morning in a statement, Senator Alexander said that he didn’t think a new federal program was necessary to support federalization of the Tennessee Promise but that he did think he would -- it sounded like he would be supportive of expanding the Pell Grant program. I don’t know exactly what you guys have in mind, but does that seem to dovetail with what the President is thinking?

MR. SCHULTZ:  The President believes that it is time to make college education the norm, and that about 100 years ago this country decided that high school would be the norm and that now is the time to make sure that all Americans, regardless of age, have access to higher education.  So that’s what he’s focused on, in particular because we need to make sure America’s young people have the skills they need to succeed in a 21st century economy. 

Q    But I do think -- I think there was a Tennessee congresswoman maybe who issued a statement yesterday who said, look, good idea, I like what happened in Tennessee, but we don’t want a one-size-fits-all, federal, top-down program, that, like, the reason it worked is because it works for Tennessee.  Is there -- I mean, this does seem like it opens the administration up to that same kind of criticism, that what they want to do is impose top-down solutions.

MR. SCHULTZ:  Well, the President believes the success we’ve seen in Tennessee is something that should be available to all 50 states.  And so that’s why the President wants to make this a national program, to make sure that young people, no matter if they’re in Tennessee or any other state, have access to a higher education.

Q    In the Tennessee program, students can apply for aid beyond what they would get through grants.  Is that the President’s intention as well, or does he intend to have this program just cover the tuition without applying for grants?

MR. SCHULTZ:  So for details on this I’m going to refer you to the Department of Education, but, yes -- largely, the full two years of their college education will be paid for.  And again, that’s 75 percent by the federal government and the rest remaining from the states.

Q    And how would you pay for this program?

MR. SCHULTZ:  We are going to release those details in the President’s budget, which will be released on time in a few weeks.  I do know that there’s intensive interest in this since we announced it last night, which I’m gratified by.  I can tell you that over 5.7 million people viewed the video that we released last night at six o’clock.  As of 10:00 a.m. this morning, 5.7 million people viewed it; 21.1 million people had been reached with that Facebook post.  So we are very gratified by the interest.  I can also tell you that this was the most successful White House Facebook post ever that we’ve done.  Given the interest in the cost, I wanted to let you know that it is going to be roughly $60 billion over 10 years.

Q    Sixty?  6-0?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Yes.  That is a significant investment.  But again, it’s one the President believes is worthwhile, because we need to make sure that America’s young people are getting the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.  And there’s no better ticket to the middle class than a college education.

Q    That $60 billion is the federal piece -- the 75 percent?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Yes.
 
Q    To follow on that, would that be done as a mandatory program?  Meaning anybody who’s eligible for it would get funding on the mandatory side of the budget?  Or is this is a discretionary program of Congress annually appropriating funds, possible fewer funds?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I will have to check on that.

Q    So you guys describe this as sort of the beginning of a conversation.  Do you see this as a fully baked program, or something that you want to discuss and could change significantly in the coming weeks and months?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I will say that President has a pretty clear vision of what he wants to do, which is inspire -- we’ve been forthcoming that this has been inspired by the Tennessee program. That said, we are starting a national conversation today in just a few hours about how we can expand college access for all Americans.

Q    Putting a fine point on it, that would leave states responsible for $20 billion over 10 years?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I want to say the federal share of this will be $60 billion over 10 years.  I also want to say that just a day ago Republicans seemed to shrug off their own congressional budget, finding that $53 billion would be added onto the deficit if their work week bill were to pass.  They shrugged that off; they said it didn’t bother them.  It bothers us.

And what I would like to say is that Republicans are now spending tens of billions of dollars to take health care away from a million Americans.  We’re spending tens of billions of dollars to make sure America’s young people get an education.  We feel like that distinction is worthwhile.

Q    Do you think that the Republican Congress would support the President’s request for that appropriation?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Again, we take Republicans at their word.  I know several of them in leadership and some of the new freshmen have said that education is a priority.  So we take them at their word on that.  Obviously, this is a program that has had bipartisan support at the state and local level.  We look forward to building on that.

Q    Do you have anything about the report that the two brothers suspected in the Hebdo attack are dead?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Again, obviously the situation is very fluid.  I’d refer you to the French authorities.

Q    Cuba has released 36 political prisoners.  Have they provided assurances that they will release the rest of them?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Steve, thank you for asking the question.  We actually welcome the significant and ongoing releases of the political prisoners by the Cuban government.  These releases are consistent with the cases that we raise with the Cuban government.  We’re pleased with the progress.  We think it’s a tangible sign that they’re keeping their word, and we look forward to that continuing.
 
Q    But what about -- you asked for 53.
 
MR. SCHULTZ:  We’re confident that they’re going to keep their word, just as they have over the past day.

Q    Can I ask you one thing more about the 60 over 10?  Does that index -- does it start at a lower number and become higher over time, expecting more participation and higher costs?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I’ll have to double-check on this.
 
Q    That is to say, does it start at, like, $5 billion and become $7 billion to be 60 over 10?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I will double-check on that, but I don’t believe so.  I believe that’s fixed.

Q    On jobs numbers today -- obviously good news on the one hand.  But on the other hand, wages have actually fallen, which is still sort of a sign of weakness.  What can the President do about increasing wages in addition to adding jobs to the economy?

MR. SCHULTZ:  Sure.  I appreciate the question.  As you know, we tend to focus not on any particular stat from any particular month, but we look at long-term trends.  We believe the report release today caps off a year of strong economic growth, strong job numbers.  As you know, this is the highest-performing job growth year since the late 1990s.
 
And as you point out, there’s still more work to be done.  That’s why the President hit the road this week, talking about ways that we can continue to make sure this economic progress is enjoyed by as many people as possible.  I think there’s a direct connection to the announcement we’re making today to make community college more accessible for all Americans.  Because there is no better ticket to the middle class than a college education.

Q    Do you have a week ahead?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I do, sir.

On Monday, the President will welcome the 2014 NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs, to the White House to honor the team on winning their championship title.  The visit will continue the tradition begun by President Obama of honoring sports teams for their efforts to give back to their communities. 

On Tuesday, the President will host bipartisan, bicameral congressional leadership, where he will host -- where he will discuss a wide range of issues, including where he hopes he can work together to grow the economy and protect our national security.  Vice President Biden will also attend.

On Wednesday, the President will attend meetings at the White House.

On Thursday, the President will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend a Senate Democratic Issues Conference.

And on Friday, the President will attend meetings at the White House.

Q    So he’s done all his pre-State of the Union travel after today?

MR. SCHULTZ:  I just read you the week ahead.  If we have any more announcements on what the President is up to between now and then, we will let you know.

Q    And how’s the prep going on the speech?

MR. SCHULTZ:  We are making great progress.

END
11:38 A.M. EST

Statement by the President on the Election in Sri Lanka

On behalf of the American people, I congratulate the people of Sri Lanka on the successful and peaceful conclusion of Sri Lanka’s presidential election and incoming President Maithripala Sirisena on his victory.  I also commend the outgoing administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for facilitating a swift and orderly transition of power.  Beyond the significance of this election to Sri Lanka, it is also a symbol of hope for those who support democracy all around the world.  International and domestic monitors and observers were permitted to do their jobs. Sri Lankans from all segments of society cast their ballots peacefully, and the voice of the people was respected.  At this moment of hope, the United States looks forward to deepening its partnership with the people and government of Sri Lanka and to working with President Sirisena to advance peace, democracy, and prosperity for all Sri Lankans.