First Prez to ever have a personal relationship to federal student loans and financial aid

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/blog/obama_on_financial_aid.php

April 21, 2011 11:00 AM
Obama on Financial Aid
by Daniel Luzer





Earlier this week President Obama indicated that he plans to oppose Republican efforts to cut Pell Grants. Or, rather, he plans to oppose specific plans to reduce the size of the maximum Pell Grant.

Speaking on Tuesday at an event at Northern Virginia Community College, Obama said:

More than 10,000 students at this college, at this college alone, are relying on Pell Grants to help pay their tuition… How many of you who are in the audience have gotten a Pell Grant to help you pay your way? How many of you can’t afford to pay another $1,000 to go to school? I know what this is like. Scholarships helped make it possible for me and for Michelle to go to college. It’s fair to say I wouldn’t be President if it hadn’t been for somebody helping me be able to afford college.

Actually it’s rather unlikely that either the president or his wife got Pell Grants to attend college. They’re only available to students from low-income families; both of the Obamas were from middle class households.

Still, it’s interesting to note that this is the first time that we’ve had a president with a personal relationship to federal student loans and other financial aid. Earlier presidents attended college back when higher education was more affordable; national financial aid programs didn’t exist and things like student loans were relatively rare.

Daniel Luzer is the web editor of the Washington Monthly.

[dkf]

1. How did Clinton do it?

[DURHAM D]

2. exactly

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. Didn't he get a scholarship? I know he was a Rhodes Scholar.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Rhodes is a post-graduate scholarship, but I bet he got some kind of scholarship to Georgetown

Clinton was probably by most measures a better student than Obama was. Granted Obama was President of the Harvard Law Review and that ain't too shabby. Most accounts of Clinton say that he was one of those kids who could ace a final with only barely cracking a book. Obama, on the other hand, is among us mortals who can achieve great success academically but have to work our asses off to do it.

[Beacool]

9. It reminds me of an anecdote I read in Web Hubbell's autobiography.

Web told a story that happened at Yale law school. He and Bill were in class and the professor was particularly tough. Bill had been leaning back in his seat and had his eyes closed. The professor asked one of his typically hard questions, no one knew the answer. All of a sudden Bill sat up and gave a long and comprehensive answer to the professor's question. He then went back to his previous position in his seat. Web said that they all stared at him, they thought that he had been asleep. LOL!! Bill has a brilliant mind and he is still the politician who has the greatest facility to explain the most difficult issues in a way that everyone can understand.

:D

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. But, Hillary is smarter than both Bill and Obama. ;) n/t

[Beacool]

17. Well, that's what Bill has been saying since he met her

and he should know.

;)

[whistler162]

20. and makes "more money than--than--than Calvin Coolidge! Put together!"

old movie line.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

23. if that was true, she would be President.

[JTFrog]

14. .

.
..
...

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

22. if only there were no term limits, eh?

[Nedsdag]

25. I thought Hillary told that story.

I don't think Webb Hubbell went to law school with the Clintons.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

13. How do you know that Bill was a better student than Obama? Do you mean smarter?

Or worked harder? I think Obama admits that he goofed off some in college, but that doesn't mean that he isn't as smart as Bill. It just meant that he didn't apply himself at Occidental. I think Bill was better, worked harder. Not necessarily smarter, though.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. I don't take one's ability as a student to necessarily be a measure of intelligence

Bill Clinton from most accounts I've heard (although they could be false) was the kind of person who could ace a test while barely cracking a book. Obama was not so much. Therefore Clinton had more natural ability as a student than Obama. However, there is a lot more to intelligence than natural ability to do well on exams and papers. Both men are quite intelligent.

[JI7]

28. actually Clinton didn't work that hard but things came to him easily

he was the type that could do a quick review the night before exam and pass easily.

[babylonsister]

4. Good question; I'd think he'd be the first. nt

[Keith Bee]

5. Charm

[SheilaT]

6. Scholarships.

[dsc]

8. according to wikipedia clinton had scholarships

but I can't imagine he was a full ride at Georgetown. On edit, this link, which appears to be a somewhat official bio, mentions loans.

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OP/html/Hope.html

Bill Clinton recognized that although college would be expensive, it would give him the education he needed to accomplish his goals. His hard work in school, combined with his musical ability, earned him many academic and music scholarships. With the help of those scholarships and loans from the government, he was able to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He chose Georgetown because it had an excellent foreign service program; he was also excited about going to school in the nation's capital.

[Beacool]

10. Nonsense, Bill Clinton wouldn't have made it through college without financial aid.

He was lower middle class, Georgetown and Yale were way above his family's means. He got scholarships, loans and any job that he could get to help finance his schooling. Hillary also had to get help for law school because her father wouldn't pay for it (he paid for her undergrad degree).

;-)

[SwampG8r]

11. and everyone forgets he took georgetown

to the final four three years running with his awesome outside shot
and this was way before 3 pointers

if i was clinton this is the way i would tell it
how are you bea?

[Beacool]

16. Wassup fellow Gator?

Me here at work on Good Friday. Wuaaaaa!!! Most people took the day off, but I'm here, Then again, I'm going to Europe at the end of May for 2 weeks so I guess I shouldn't complain.

I wish you and yours a very good holiday with lots of chocolate bunnies.

:pals:

[tanyev]

15. Um, I'm pretty sure I got some Pell Grant money in college.

My parents were solid middle class.

[RockaFowler]

18. Me too

My 2nd year in College was all Pell Grants. My Mom worked for the Chamber and my Dad owned a Landscaping company. It does happen in Middle Class families, too.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Pell Grants go to the middle class too, and Clinton had

loans and grants. So basically, this entire OP is not factual.

[TheKentuckian]

21. and of tenuous significance

[GeorgeGist]

24. Personal relationship?

WTF drivel.

[Nancy Waterman]

27. Obama was paying back his student loans until a few years ago

Publishing his books is what allowed him to pay it all back.