i mean, are you seeing more students who are getting geds going on to postsecondary education? >> well, certainly we are pushing for that. it seems to me that the ged -- obtaining the ged opens that door and post second dare edge -- secondary education is so critical. we know that by 2020, 76% of the jobs in the district of columbia will require some type of postsecondary education. so when we think of postsecondary education we think not only of a bachelor's degree, but an a.a. degree and a credential because those things will prepare individuals for careers that are sustaining. >> the fact is the economy is tough out there. for college graduates for college graduates who have been to graduate school. >> right. >> so students like christopher are really going to be facing a lot of competition, aren't they? >> they are facing a lot of competition. fortunately in d.c. we have a few programs that can help support our youth as they pursue postsecondary education and first among those is the tagg program, the tuition assistance grant, which will provide up to $10,000 to students to

and the law's scope has broadened to exist students seeking a bright of postsecondary degrees.he administration come improving the performance of our nation's higher education has been focusing on the investments needed to ensure that college remains affordable for the middle and low income families. the kinds of reforms that make it possible for all americans to have the opportunity to succeed in college. this is meant supporting innovation and competition designed to lead to breakthroughs on cost and quality that can accommodate 21st century learners. it is required to all we can to build a better and more reliable financial aid system that helps more americans afford college and better manage their student debt. for many years success of congress to focus on the cost of the federal student loan system. the subsidies paid to banks that make student loans and those the terms and conditions. one of president obama's most significant achievements was reforming the federal student loan system to remove things from the equation with colleges instead using loans with capital provid

the laws scope has broadened to assist us to dance with a variety of postsecondary degrees. the administration has been focusing on the investments needed to ensure college remains affordable for the middle and low income families. the kinds of reforms that make it possible for all americans to have the opportunity to succeed. this has meant supporting innovation and breakthroughs in cost and quality that can accommodate 21st-century learners. we must do all 21st century learners. we must do all we can to build a better and more stable financial aid system that allows individuals to afford college and manage their debt. the subsidies paid to bank that make loans. he wanted to remove banks from the program and have college provide loans with capital directly from the federal government. this resulted in $60 million in savings that we were able to reinvest in aid for other students. finally, all of these efforts must be built for strong accountability to help all colleges improve we need to ask more from states and institutions and accreditors. we also need to protect the sign

the laws scope has broadened to assist us to dance with a variety of postsecondary degrees. the administration has been focusing on the investments needed to ensure college remains affordable for the middle and low income families. the kinds of reforms that make it possible for all americans to have the opportunity to succeed. this has meant supporting innovation and breakthroughs in cost and quality that can accommodate 21st-century learners. we must do all 21st century learners. we must do all we can to build a better and more stable financial aid system that allows individuals to afford college and manage their debt. the subsidies paid to bank that make loans. he wanted to remove banks from the program and have college provide loans with capital directly from the federal government. this resulted in $60 million in savings that we were able to reinvest in aid for other students. finally, all of these efforts must be built for strong accountability to help all colleges improve we need to ask more from states and institutions and accreditors. we also need to protect the sign

population and the most competitive works out force, measured in part by americans leading the way in postsecondary degrees and credentials. to achieve that goal we worked with partners at the national state, local and institutional level to strengthen the educational pipeline. we've been modernizing the teaching profession and making college affordability college quality and completion for all students a top priority. we look forward to deepening that in the conversations ahead i had on the higher education act reauthorization. today thanks to the hard work of educators, families and communities that we have a high graduation with. the biggest gain is being made by low income, students of color and disability. the achievement gap has begun to close as we reach this historic milestone where the majority of our students in the educational system are now coming from minority communities. we can now equipped minority students with better skills to be prepared for college and later in life. administration has certainly tried they've increased the total aid available to students. they've created tax ben

i argue college completion is a function of more than the postsecondary experience.nd other factors such as financial aid opportunity and academic preparation also play a role in predicting the odds of college success. in our work we find nearly 61% of the racial gap in college completion can be explained by pre-college characteristics. that's before a student enters college. another 35% of the gap in racial college completion is explained by postsecondary characteristics. every stage of schooling that does not give all students an equal opportunity to prepare for college has civil rights implications. therefore, being given equal opportunity to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary study is the education civil rights battle of our time. moreover, as stated by the commissioner, the consequences of not being appropriately prepared to succeed in college are costly. not only to individuals deprived of the opportunity. but to local and state economies and ultimately the nation. i'm going to focus on five key areas related to college completion. and they include demogr

population and the most competitive works out force, measured in part by americans leading the way in postsecondary degrees and credentials. to achieve that goal we worked with partners at the national state, local and institutional level to strengthen the educational pipeline. we've been modernizing the teaching profession and making college affordability college quality and completion for all students a top priority. we look forward to deepening that in the conversations ahead i had on the higher education act reauthorization. today thanks to the hard work of educators, families and communities that we have a high graduation with. the biggest gain is being made by low income, students of color and disability. the achievement gap has begun to close as we reach this historic milestone where the majority of our students in the educational system are now coming from minority communities. we can now equipped minority students with better skills to be prepared for college and later in life. administration has certainly tried they've increased the total aid available to students. they've created tax ben

quite well coming out of the program. 90% of the students who attend the program go on to college, postsecondarycollege. that is astonishing. how do i feel about this achievement when they are also at the same time living in south central which has favored rather big reputation of gangs, drugs and all other kinds of impoverished community. how do they feel about being in the program and coming home to a community where it may be time team and some of them can become involved with all these problems and issues. i set out to interview them, but i realize having raised a kid myself that they are not going to get them say anything. i do feel about what you're doing? fine. do you like we're going? yes, that would be it. as the methodology used and it's a grassroots organization that everyone has a right to speak. we are not getting the voice of the marginal. people are on the edge of society as we see them. they believe if we give them a camera and let them go and document their lives. i gave 54 k. of an interview cameras and i wanted it from their days. tell me what you see about your life. that was

says, "without major changes the american economy will fall short of five million workers with postsecondary degrees by 2020." we're well on our way to preparing legislation which we hope to have ready in the fall to reauthorize the higher education system in america. we hope to simplify college regulations. we hope to make it simpler to apply for a student for a federal grant or loan to pay for college. we hope to make it simpler for students to pay off their loans. we hope to instill year-round pell grants so students can go through college more rapidly and get into the workforce. we hope to allow students to be able to apply for student aid in their junior year of high school rather than their senior year which will permit them to shop around and make it easier for them to supply information they need. we'll take a look at accrediting and we'll try to understand better weighs to accommodate -- ways to accommodate the tremendous amount of information that's coming our way because of the internet in terms of new ways of learning. i thank the president. i ask consent to include within the re