The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

  • Nina Hachigian – Representative of the United States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the Rank of Ambassador, Department of State
  • Shamina Singh – Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Matthew H. Tueller – Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen, Department of State
  • Gustavo Velasquez – Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development 

President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to join this Administration and serve our country.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Nina Hachigian, Nominee for Representative of the United States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State

Nina Hachigian is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a position she has held since 2008.  From 2007 to 2008, she was Senior Vice President and Director for California at the Center.  She worked as Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation from 2005 to 2006, and as Director at the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy from 2001 to 2005.  Prior to that, Ms. Hachigian was an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations at the Pacific Council on International Policy.  From 1998 to 1999, she served as Executive Assistant to the Deputy National Security Advisor in the White House, and before that she worked as an advisor to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.  Ms. Hachigian was an associate at O’Melveny and Myers in Los Angeles from 1995 to 1997, and formerly a Judicial Clerk to Judge Harry Pregerson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  She is the author of several books related to foreign policy and is a member of the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.  Ms. Hachigian received a B.S. from Yale University and a J.D. from Stanford University Law School.

Shamina Singh, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Shamina Singh is Executive Director of the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, a position she has held since December 2013.  She is also the Global Director of Government Social Programs in MasterCard's Public Private Partnerships group, a position she has held since February 2013.  From 2011 to 2013, she was Senior Advisor to MSLGROUP.  Previously, she served as Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Nike, Inc. from 2010 to 2011.  Prior to that, Ms. Singh served as COO for Global Community Development at Citigroup, Inc. from 2005 to 2010.  From 2004 to 2005, Ms. Singh served as Deputy Director for America Votes.  In 2003, she served as a Senior Advisor to U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and in 2002 was the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate campaign.  Ms. Singh was Executive Director for the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from 1999 to 2001, Congressional Liaison for the Office of Congressional Affairs at the Department of Labor from 1998 to 1999, Senior Legislative Advocate for the Service Employees International Union from 1995 to 1998, and Campaign Associate for the Ann Richards for Governor Committee from 1993 to 1994.  Ms. Singh is a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum and a Henry Crown Fellow with the Aspen Institute.  Ms. Singh received a B.S. from Old Dominion University and an M.P.A. from The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen, Department of State

Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is the U.S. Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, a position he has held since 2011.  He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo from 2008 to 2011, and the Political Minister Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2007 to 2008.  Ambassador Tueller also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait from 2004 to 2007, Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh from 2001 to 2004, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Doha from 1998 to 2000.  He also served as Chief of the U.S. Office in Aden, Yemen from 2000 to 2001.  His other overseas assignments with the Department of State include positions at the U.S. Embassies in the United Kingdom and Jordan, as well as Arabic study in Cairo, Egypt.  Ambassador Tueller received a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Gustavo Velasquez, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development

Gustavo Velasquez is the Executive Director of the Latino Economic Development Center, a position he has held since October 2013.  He was the Director of the Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights from 2007 to 2013.  From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Velasquez was the Director of the District of Columbia’s Office of Latino Affairs.  During his tenure in D.C. government, he also chaired the Mayor’s Bullying Prevention Policy Task Force and the District of Columbia’s Equal and Inclusive Housing Task Force.  From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Velasquez worked at Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. where he was first the Division Director of Children, Youth and Families, and then Operations Director in 2001.  Before his time at Congreso, Mr. Velasquez was an associate at McGann Management Consulting from 1998 to 1999.  Mr. Velasquez received a B.A. from the Universidad Iberoamericana and an M.G.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Cameron

The President spoke today to British Prime Minister Cameron as part of their ongoing consultations on shared security challenges and advancing the special relationship.  On Syria, the Leaders affirmed their commitment to the Geneva II process and addressed the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict.  The Prime Minister and the President noted the ongoing progress on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons program, as well as the important international contributions being made to this effort, including by the United States and United Kingdom.   They also discussed the growing security challenge posed by extremist groups in Syria and the region.  The President expressed support for the Prime Minister’s ongoing efforts to encourage the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan to take concrete steps toward peace and stability.  The two leaders also discussed the results of the all-party talks among Northern Ireland’s political parties and they stressed the need for Northern Ireland’s political parties to agree to concrete next steps on the Haass proposals, implement the Building a United Community initiative, and more broadly, continue to advance progress on the peace process in Northern Ireland. President Obama also updated the Prime Minister on the ongoing U.S. signals intelligence review and both leaders noted the intensive dialogue that the United States and United Kingdom have had on these issues, at all levels.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

Summary of Technical Understandings Related to the Implementation of the Joint Plan of Action on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Nuclear Program

On January 12, 2014, the P5+1 (the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China, coordinated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton) and Iran arrived at technical understandings for the Joint Plan of Action, which will be implemented beginning on January 20, 2014.

The Joint Plan of Action marks the first time in nearly a decade that the Islamic Republic of Iran has agreed to specific actions that stop the advance of its nuclear program, roll back key aspects of the program, and include unprecedented access for international inspectors.  The technical understandings set forth how the provisions of the Joint Plan of Action will be implemented and verified, and the timing of implementation of its provisions.  Specifically, the technical understandings specify the actions that Iran will take to limit its enrichment capacity at Natanz and Fordow, as well as the limits on safeguarded research and development (R&D); the actions Iran will take to implement its commitments not to fuel the Arak reactor or install remaining components at the reactor; and the actions Iran will take to facilitate International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification and confirmation that Iran is fully implementing these commitments.  The understandings also clarify the reciprocal actions that the P5+1 and the EU will take.

Between now and January 20th, Iran, the IAEA, the United States, and our international partners, will take the remaining required steps to begin implementing the Joint Plan of Action on that date. 

What Iran Has Committed To Do

On January 20th, the IAEA will report on the current status of Iran’s nuclear program, and particularly on its uranium enrichment program and the Arak reactor.  The IAEA will also report on several specific steps that Iran has committed to take by or on the first day of implementation, including:

  • Halting production of near-20% enriched uranium and disabling the configuration of the centrifuge cascades Iran has been using to produce it.
  • Starting to dilute half of the near-20% enriched uranium stockpile that is in hexafluoride form, and continuing to convert the rest to oxide form not suitable for further enrichment.

In addition, over the course of the Joint Plan of Action, the IAEA will verify that Iran is:

  • Not enriching uranium in roughly half of installed centrifuges at Natanz and three-quarters of installed centrifuges at Fordow, including all next generation centrifuges.
  • Limiting its centrifuge production to those needed to replace damaged machines, so Iran cannot use the six-month period to stockpile centrifuges.
  • Not constructing additional enrichment facilities.
  • Not going beyond its current enrichment R&D practices.
  • Not commissioning or fueling the Arak reactor.
  • Halting the production and additional testing of fuel for the Arak reactor.
  • Not installing any additional reactor components at Arak.
  • Not transferring fuel and heavy water to the Arak reactor site.
  • Not constructing a facility capable of reprocessing.  Without reprocessing, Iran cannot separate plutonium from spent fuel.

Iran has also committed to a schedule for taking certain actions during the six-month period.  This includes:

  • Completion of dilution of half of its stockpile of near-20% uranium hexafluoride in three months, and completion of conversion of the rest of that material to oxide in six months.
  • A cap on the permitted size of Iran’s up to 5% enriched uranium stockpile at the end of the six-month period.

Verification Mechanisms

To ensure Iran is fulfilling its commitments, the IAEA will be solely responsible for verifying and confirming all nuclear-related measures, consistent with its ongoing inspection role in Iran.  In addition, the EU, P5+1 and Iran will establish a Joint Commission to work with the IAEA to monitor implementation of the Joint Plan of Action.  The Joint Commission will also work with the IAEA to facilitate resolution of past and present concerns with respect to Iran’s nuclear program. 

The Joint Commission will be composed of experts of the EU, P5+1 and Iran, and it will convene at least monthly to consider the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action and any issues that may arise.  Any decisions that are required on the basis of these discussions will be referred to the Political Directors of the EU, the P5+1, and Iran.

Transparency and Monitoring

Iran committed in the Joint Plan of Action to provide increased and unprecedented transparency into its nuclear program, including through more frequent and intrusive inspections as well as expanded provision of information to the IAEA.

The Iranian enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow will now be subject to daily IAEA inspector access as set out in the Joint Plan of Action (as opposed to every few weeks).  The IAEA and Iran are working to update procedures, which will permit IAEA inspectors to review surveillance information on a daily basis to shorten detection time for any Iranian non-compliance.  In addition, these facilities will continue to be subjected to a variety of other physical inspections, including scheduled and unannounced inspections. 

The Arak reactor and associated facilities will be subject to at least monthly IAEA inspections – an increase from the current inspection schedule permitting IAEA access approximately once every three months or longer. 

Iran has also agreed to provide for the first time:

  • Long-sought design information on the Arak reactor;
  • Figures to verify that centrifuge production will be dedicated to the replacement of damaged machines; and
  • Information to enable managed access at centrifuge assembly workshops, centrifuge rotor production workshops and storage facilities, and uranium mines and mills.

These enhanced monitoring measures will enable the IAEA to provide monthly updates to the Joint Commission on the status of Iran’s implementation of its commitments and enable the international community to more quickly detect breakout or the diversion of materials to a secret program.

What the P5+1 and EU Have Committed To Do

As part of this initial step, the P5+1 and EU will provide limited, temporary, and targeted relief to Iran.  The total value of the relief is between $6 and $7 billion – a small fraction of the $100 billion in Iranian foreign exchange holdings that will continue to be blocked or restricted.  Some relief will be provided from the first day; most will be provided in installments over the span of the entire six-month period.  The relief is structured so that the overwhelming majority of the sanctions regime, including the key oil, banking, and financial sanctions architecture, remains in place – and sanctions will continue to be vigorously implemented throughout the six-month period. 

Once the IAEA has confirmed Iran is implementing its commitments, in return the P5+1 and EU have committed to do the following on the first day of implementation:

  • Suspend the implementation of sanctions on Iran’s petrochemical exports and Iran’s imports of goods and services for its automotive manufacturing sector.
  • Suspend sanctions on Iran’s import and export of gold and other precious metals, with significant limitations that prevent Iran from using its restricted assets overseas to pay for these purchases. 
  • License expeditiously the supply of spare parts and services, including inspection services, for the safety of flight of Iran’s civil aviation sector.
  • Pause efforts to further reduce purchases of crude oil from Iran by the six economies still purchasing oil from Iran. 
  • Facilitate the establishment of a financial channel intended to support humanitarian trade that is already permitted with Iran and facilitate payments for UN obligations and tuition payments for students studying abroad.
  • Modify the thresholds for EU internal procedures for the authorization of financial transactions.

The P5+1 and EU have also committed to take certain actions to facilitate Iran’s access to $4.2 billion in restricted Iranian funds on a set schedule at regular intervals throughout the six months.  Access to a small portion of these funds will be linked to Iran’s progress in completing the dilution process for near-20% enriched uranium.  Iran will not have access to the final installment of the $4.2 billion until the last day of the six-month period. 

The installments will be released on the schedule below, contingent on the IAEA confirming that Iran is fulfilling its commitments.

February 1st - $550 million (installment #1)

March 1st - $450million (contingent on the IAEA confirming that Iran has completed dilution of half of the stockpile of near-20% enriched uranium it is required to dilute)

March 7th - $550 million (installment #2)

April 10th - $550 million (installment #3)

April 15th - $450 million (contingent on the IAEA confirming that Iran has completed dilution of its entire stockpile of near-20% enriched uranium it is required to dilute)

May 14th - $550 million (installment #4)

June 17th - $550 million (installment #5)

July 20th - $550million (installment #6 is on day 180) (contingent on the IAEA confirming that Iran has fulfilled all of its commitments)

A Comprehensive Solution

With this implementation plan, we have made concrete progress.  We will now focus on the critical work of pursuing a comprehensive resolution that addresses our concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.  Shortly after the Joint Plan of Action takes effect on January 20th, the United States will determine with our P5+1 partners our approach to the comprehensive solution.  Discussions with Iran will follow that coordination process.

With respect to the comprehensive solution, nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to.  We have no illusions about how hard it will be to achieve this objective, but for the sake of our national security and the peace and security of the world, now is the time to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 667, S. 1614

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.R. 667, which redesignates the Dryden Flight Research Center as the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Western Aeronautical Test Range as the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range; and

S. 1614, the “Accuracy for Adoptees Act,” which requires that a Federal Certificate of Citizenship for a child born outside of the United States reflect the child's name and date of birth as indicated on a State court order or State vital records document issued by the child's State of residence after the child has been adopted in that State.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

Statement by Press Secretary Jay Carney on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

The United States welcomes today's start of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s trial for four defendants accused of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others that were killed in that bombing.  We have strongly supported the Tribunal’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for destabilizing acts of violence in Lebanon.  The Tribunal’s work must continue unimpeded and the perpetrators of these acts must be brought to justice.  The United States reiterates our condemnation of the use of violence as a political tool.  We call on all parties to work together to insulate Lebanon from further instability, including by supporting the institutions of the Lebanese state, assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces, and by respecting Lebanon’s neutrality as agreed in the Baabda Declaration. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

President Obama Signs Alaska Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alaska and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the area affected by flooding during the period of October 27-28, 2013. 

Federal funding is available to state and eligible tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the flooding in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Dolph A. Diemont as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the United States District Courts

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Obama nominated Stephen R. Bough, Richard Franklin Boulware II, Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr., and Staci Michelle Yandle to serve on the United States District Courts.

“I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama.  “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”

Stephen R. Bough: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Stephen R. Bough is a partner at the Law Offices of Stephen R. Bough, where his practice focuses on insurance coverage and personal injury litigation.  Before he founded his current firm in 2006, he practiced law at Henning & Bough from 2002 to 2006 and at Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman from 1999 to 2002.  Bough began his career as a law clerk for Judge Scott O. Wright of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri from 1997 to 1999.  He received his J.D. in 1997 from the University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the UMKC Law Review, and his B.S. in 1993 from Missouri State University.

Richard Franklin Boulware II:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
Richard Franklin Boulware II has worked at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Las Vegas since 2007 and has been the lead attorney on complex white-collar cases since 2010.  From 2003 to 2007, he was a trial attorney at the Federal Defenders of New York.  Boulware began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Denise Cote of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2002 to 2003.  He received his J.D. in 2002 from Columbia Law School and his A.B. cum laude in 1993 from Harvard College. 

Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr.: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. has served as a judge on the Superior Court for Benton and Franklin Counties since 2013.  From 1999 to 2013, Judge Mendoza practiced law as a solo practitioner and in various law partnerships, where his practice focused on criminal defense.  During that same period, Judge Mendoza also served as a judge pro tempore in various district, municipal, and juvenile courts in Benton and Franklin Counties.  From 1998 to 1999, he served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and, from 1997 to 1998, he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.  Judge Mendoza received his J.D. in 1997 from the UCLA School of Law and his B.A. in 1994 from the University of Washington.

Staci Michelle Yandle: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
Staci Michelle Yandle has been a solo practitioner in southern Illinois since 2007, where her practice focuses on civil litigation in federal and state court.  From 2003 to 2007, Yandle was a partner with The Rex Carr Law Firm LLC, and, from 1987 to 2003, she was an associate with the law firm of Carr, Korein, Schlichter, Kunin, Montroy, Glass & Bogard.  She received her J.D. in 1987 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law and her B.S. in 1983 from the University of Illinois.  Yandle served by appointment on the Illinois Gaming Board from 1999 to 2001, and on the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights from approximately 1992 to 1996.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

FACT SHEET: The President and First Lady’s Call to Action on College Opportunity

To view the White House report on Increasing College Opportunity for Low-Income Students, click HERE.  To view the list of Commitments to Action on College Opportunity, click HERE.

The President believes he has a job to do, and every day he is fighting to create more opportunities for working and middle class Americans. And while he will continue to work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to move our country forward, the President is committed to partnering with colleges and universities, business leaders, nonprofits and others to do everything he can to support more college opportunities for students across the country.

Today, in response to the President’s call to action, the President and First Lady are joining with leaders in higher education to announce over 100 new commitments to expand college opportunity. To help more students afford and graduate from college with the skills they need, the Administration has already taken action including doubling Federal investments in Pell Grants and college tax credits and reforming student loans.  Last August, the President laid out an ambitious new agenda aimed at improving college value, removing barriers to innovation and competition, and ensuring that student debt remains affordable. As the Administration continues to push for changes that keep college affordable for all students and families, we can and must do more to get more low-income students prepared for college, enrolled in quality institutions, and graduating if we are to achieve our North Star goal of leading the world in the share of college graduates by 2020. Together, the President, the First Lady and these leaders in higher education are taking another step to help ensure that every child, rich or poor, has the opportunity for a quality college education so they can get ahead. 

  • Over 100 New Commitments to Expand College Opportunity: The participants in today’s event were asked not simply to attend an event – but to commit to new action in one of the following areas crucial to college opportunity: 

  • Connecting more low-income students to the college that is right for them and ensuring more graduate
  • Increasing the pool of students preparing for college through early interventions
  • Leveling the playing field in college advising and SAT/ACT test preparation
  • Strengthening remediation to help academically underprepared students progress through and complete college 

Today, over 100 colleges and universities and 40 organizations are announcing new commitments to action to build on their existing efforts in this area. Together, these actions will serve hundreds of thousands of students across the country.

  • Improving College Opportunity Is Important to Increasing Economic Mobility and Growing the Economy: Without college, a child born in the bottom quintile has only a 5 percent chance of making it to the top quintile. However, the chance of making it to the top nearly quadruples with a college degree – with a nearly equal chance of making it to the top quintile as staying in the bottom quintile. Yet only 9 percent of those born in the bottom quartile attain a bachelor’s degree by age 25, compared to 54 percent in the top quartile. Improving college success is one of the most powerful tools to increase economic mobility and reduce inequality. 

  • Taking Further Action to Expand College Opportunity: This event is not the culmination of these efforts, but rather the launch of a mobilization by the White House and the Department of Education, which will help share and develop additional evidence on what works and foster new commitments to action from a broader range of colleges and universities, business, nonprofits and other leaders. In 2014, the White House and the Department of Education will work with outside groups to engage in further gatherings, catalyze new and additional commitments, develop a follow-up report on progress and hold a White House convening over the next year. 

The President and First Lady’s Call to Action on College Opportunity

As part of the President and First Lady’s national call to action on college opportunity, over 100 college presidents and 40 non-profits, foundations and other organizations are announcing new commitments in the following key areas:

  1. Connecting more low-income students to the school that is right for them and ensuring more students graduate.  Many low-income students do not apply to or attend schools where they are most likely to succeed, often because they are not fully aware of their options available to them. Building on models that have had success in better matching low-income students to colleges where their outcomes will be best, participants have committed to doing more to enroll low-income students and ensure they matriculate and graduate. Over 80 colleges and universities and 15 organizations are making commitments in this area, with selected examples including: 

    • A Doubling of STEM Posse Partner Institutions: The Posse Foundation is announcing a doubling to 10 of its STEM Posse Partner Institutions – serving, over the next five years, 250 additional students from diverse, urban backgrounds who might otherwise be overlooked, providing a total of $35 million in full-tuition, four-year scholarships, and helping students to complete science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees at some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. 

    • College Board Joining With Member Institutions to Offer Four Free Fee Waivers to Eligible Students for College Applications: The College Board is joining with its member institutions to announce that every income-eligible student who takes the SAT will receive four free fee waivers to apply to college for free. 

    • More than $95 Million in Commitments to Help More Students Complete STEM Degrees: Investments totaling $95 million are being announced today from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ($65 million over five years) and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust ($30 million over three years) and to help more students complete STEM degrees.  

    • Action By More than 80 Colleges and Universities: Over 80 colleges and universities are – in addition to their efforts in other categories – taking actions like engaging in new efforts to recruit students who might not otherwise attend their university, expanding need-based aid for low-income students, setting new goals for increasing the share of low-income students, committing to additional community college transfers and taking new steps to improve outcomes for low-income students once they arrive on campus. 

  1. Increasing the Pool of Students Preparing for College Through Early Interventions:  Low-income students are less likely to prepare to apply for college by taking recommend courses, visiting college campuses, and taking the SAT or ACT.  Building on models that have had success in getting more students to prepare for college through early interventions, participants have committed to working with elementary, middle, and high schools to encourage college-going and assist with preparation. More than 30 colleges and 12 organizations have made commitments in this area, with selected examples including:

    • A New $5 Million Effort to Design Pathways to Success for Careers: Deloitte, Darden, Walmart, AT&T, Mutual of America, and the Samberg Family Foundation are committing $5 million over four years to support College Summit, and in particular a partnership called ScholarJob that will help low-income students across America connect getting an education with getting a great career. This year, with an investment from the Bezos Family Foundation, ScholarJob volunteers will partner with College Summit student Peer Leaders to scale the program, equipping more than 100,000 high school students from low-income communities in 10 cities with cutting-edge technology to help them explore careers, and to attend and complete college. 

    • $4.5 Million in New Commitments to Redesigned Schools: The Irvine Foundation and Pacific Gas & Electric are making a combined $4.5 million commitment to support the President’s initiative to redesign high schools to include more real-world learning and business partnerships. 

    • Matching Tens of Thousands of Students With Mentors and Rigorous College-Preparation: iMentor is matching 20,000 new first-generation college students with mentors and Blue Engine is expanding academic preparation in college gateway skills to 10,000 additional students over the next five years 

    • $12.5 Million in New Funding to Support Excellent STEM Teaching: 100kin10, a network formed in response to the President’s call to action to prepare 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over a decade, is announcing an additional $12.5 million in funding with support from JP Morgan Chase, the Overdeck Family Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation and the New York State Attorney General. 

    • Efforts by More than 35 Colleges and Universities to Prepare More Students for College: More than 35 colleges and universities are – along with efforts in other categories – taking actions like hosting summer enrichment programs for low-income students; partnering with local high schools to create programs that span high school and link students to college; and encouraging current students or faculty to tutor and interact with low-income high school students 

  1. Leveling the Playing Field in College Advising and Test Preparation. Low-income students are often at a triple disadvantage when it comes to advising and mentorship:  their schools have fewer counselors, they can’t afford extra advising or test prep, and often cannot turn to their parents or peers for college insight. Building on models that have had success in boosting low-income college enrollment, participants have committed to increasing access to mentors and advisors. More than 20 colleges and 16 organizations have made commitments in this area, with selected examples including: 

    • Serving An Additional 80,000 Students Through the National College Advising Corps: The National College Advising Corps is announcing new commitments from partner universities that will provide more than 80,000 students over three years with college counseling that has shown effectiveness in increasing college enrollment. 

    • Offering Additional Resources to School Counselors: The National Association for College Admission Counseling will offer free resources and additional training to school counselors to help guide students and their families on the path to college. 

    • New Effort by Khan Academy to Provide College Advising Support: Khan Academy is developing a new college advising and counseling section, along with new college-prep features that focus students on the specific content they need to be prepared for college math placement tests. 

    • Providing Thousands of Additional Students With College Prep Support: Organizations including College Possible, College Spring, College Track, OneGoal, Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) as well as a coalition of groups under the National College Access Network are making commitments to serve thousands of additional students, providing counseling services, high-quality SAT/ACT prep, and other support for students applying to college 

    • New Commitments by More than 20 Colleges To Offer Advice to Students Navigating College Application: More than 20 colleges and universities are – along with efforts in other categories – taking actions to expand summer college preparation programs for low-income students; creating new relationships with high schools to provide advising about college and financial aid; and expanding opportunities for current college students to work in high schools and middle schools to help advise students on college options 

  1. Seeking Breakthroughs in Remedial Education. While increasing college access is critical, we must ensure that low-income students are successful once they get there. Far too many students enter college underprepared to succeed, and remediation needs at four-year institutions are greatest for low-income students. Only one in four students in remedial classes will eventually earn a degree from a community college. An additional 14 percent will transfer to a four-year college without a certificate or degree. But new models are emerging that have the promise of dramatically improving college outcomes for students in need of remediation.  Participants have committed to significantly improving outcomes for academically underprepared students to ensure they succeed in college by strengthening instruction, using technology, better supporting students in remediation, and reducing the need for remediation. More than 20 colleges and universities, 22 states and the District of Columbia, and 10 organizations have made commitments in this area, including: 

    • A New Commitment by 22 States and the District of Columbia to a Comprehensive Approach to Address Remediation: 22 states and the District of Columbia supported by Complete College America, have committed to comprehensive approaches to addressing remediation that will help them achieve a significant increase in the number of college students assigned to remediation completing college level math and English their first year, recognizing that most of these students will need additional academic support. Completion of these gateway courses will lead to many more students completing their degrees. 

    • Providing Colleges With Tools And Resources to Serve Academically Underprepared Students: Key organizations are teaming up to ensure that colleges interested in improving their remediation activities have tools and resources they need to successfully serve students who are academically underprepared.  Achieving the Dream, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Jobs for the Future—experts in institutional change, faculty engagement and curriculum reform, and policy development, respectively, are working to create a "Breakthrough Collaborative." The collaborative will work with willing community colleges, higher education organizations, philanthropy and other stakeholders to help learn together the best ways to implement and improve promising practices that accelerate progression through remediation and gateway courses, especially for those students who are the least college-ready.

In addition to these steps, the Department of Education is taking the following actions to help support low-income students.  This builds on announcements by the Department of Education at the Higher Education “Datapalooza” earlier in the week.

  • Leveraging Work-Study Jobs to Support Near-Peer Mentoring: To build on promising evidence around the effectiveness of near-peer students as college advisers, the Department of Education will develop and announce in the coming weeks a new effort that would encourage and support institutions to place students into college counseling and mentoring work-study jobs through the Federal Work-Study program. This effort would assist institutions to establish, in partnership with school districts, work-study jobs that will help expand access and strengthen secondary-to-postsecondary transitions by raising awareness about college and financial aid among high school students, as well as provide on-campus work-study mentoring jobs that will help increase postsecondary persistence and completion. 

  • Building the Evidence Base for Early Intervention through GEAR UP: The Department of Education will partner with the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) to support NCCEP’s efforts to develop and evaluate best practices from GEAR UP programs related to college fit and college readiness. In addition, the Department will announce that the approximately $62 million GEAR UP grant competition scheduled for next year will focus on building and promoting the use of successful practices aimed at improving college fit, college readiness, and helping ensure students achieve the necessary milestones that provide a pathway to college success.

  • Testing the Best Approaches to College Advising and Matching Through Upward Bound:  During 2014-15, the Department of Education will commit to developing and testing a new professional development program for Upward Bound staff that includes tools and resources building on lessons and strategies learned in the field to support college matching and in-person college advising. The tool kit and training are being developed in collaboration with the College Board, ACT, and the Council for Opportunity in Education, and will be designed for use with both Upward Bound staff and high school counselors.

  • Using FAFSA Completion Information to Support College Going: The Department of Education commits to providing a process for sharing data on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion with states, so states and school districts can better identify which students have completed their forms and target efforts to increase completion. This initiative would allow the scaling up of successful initiatives that the Department has launched around FAFSA completion in cities like Chicago, San Antonio and Detroit, which raised FAFSA completion rates by more than 30 percent in some cases. This will be implemented formally through agreements between the Department of Education and state student aid agencies in early 2014, which coincides with the beginning of the FAFSA application cycle for academic year 2014-15.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 15, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.J. Res. 106

On Wednesday, January 15, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.J. Res. 106, which provides fiscal year 2014 appropriations for projects and activities of the Federal Government through Saturday, January 18, 2014. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 15, 2014

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus

Today, the President met with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. The group discussed their shared goals for 2014, and the President expressed his desire to continue to work together to advance a number of our priorities for the year to strengthen our economy, create jobs and build the middle class. The President has declared 2014 a year of action, and while he will continue to use his executive authority - his pen and phone - to get things done, he will also work with Congress to make progress on behalf of the American people. The President addressed a number of issues with the Caucus, including increasing the minimum wage so those Americans working hard can have a living wage, passing commonsense immigration reform, strengthening education and promoting a number of other jobs and growth measures.