subject: Putting Education First: Obama Grants [print this page] For many people, a bright future starts with good education. The President has on many occasions emphasized the need for a strong education system. Grants and scholarships are just the beginning of efforts to try to make over higher education. College expenses continue to increase even as the economy slumps. Besides tuition and housing, fees for books, travel and eating are often not covered. With high costs looming, many young adults can't afford to go to a university. Single moms are especially affected in a bad way. To put more educated minds in the workforce and ensure that families are cared for, it's important to educate moms. The President has attempted to help by encouraging more grants for single mothers to attend school. Because of his efforts many people now refer to Federal Pell Grants as Obama grants. These grants award a student over $5,000 to go to college. This is an increase of $1,000 over the previous maximum, and the goal is to help working mothers return to school. The scholarship money covers practically all school-related expenses. The American Opportunity Tax Credit is also a very valuable program. Under this incentive program, education costs up to $4,000 are cleared. Especially for less expensive schools, $4,000 could be a significant help for a student. Single moms often fall into this group, so these programs are particularly beneficial to them. There are almost no restrictions on where and what a student studies. With more incentives, more ambitious adults will realize their goal to get a college degree. Making more efforts to improve education opportunities is the best way for President Obama to show that he values them. The new stimulus package has some benefits for potential college students. The administration is also focusing on improving the performance of schools at all levels. There is also emphasis on encouraging more students to consider community college. Community college is important to prepare students for a 4-year college but also to prepare them for a 2-year degree or technical skill. "We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That's the best investment we can make in our future." Those are the words of President Obama in his 2007 speech Reclaiming the American Dream. The President has shown a good effort to support his words through action. The mission to educate all Americans is certainly helped by providing scholarships for mothers. Traditional and non-traditional students alike have numerous opportunities to put their education first.
