President Obama's Economic Stimulus Plan
posted by Christopher Guerrero
March 10, 2009 at 5:43 PM
Submitted by Mattie Munoz, California Democratic Party Intern
Last month President Obama signed an economic stimulus plan that provides $100 billion dollars for education-related funding. Of that, $15 billion is designated for higher education in the form of financial assistance that will aid college students facing growing tuition costs. For California students, the news is a welcomed sigh of relief because of next year's 10% increase in UC and Cal State University tuition costs.
Aside from the funding's immediate economic benefits, the stimulus package plays a role in Obama's vision for America's future. Obama has challenged America to become the nation with the largest proportion of college graduates in world by 2020, asking every American with a high school diploma to, "... commit one or more years of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship."
Obama's decision to offer set aside large amounts of money for education efforts signals a renewed focus on the state of education within this country. Investment in education is the first step to creating a more educated and dynamic workforce that can fill the country's growing demand for a college-educated workforce. The benefits of this education program would directly affect California -- according to a report by the California Policy Institute, California's demand for college educated workers will be 41% of the total workforce by 2025.
