By Tori Lee and Tara Massouleh

Education and its funding are at the forefront of issues for college students today. Some of our biggest struggles include finding the means to fund our college journey and the amount of impending debt that will soon follow us into adulthood.

President Obama has an ambitious goal for America to have the highest portion of college graduates in the world by 2020. In order to do this, Obama has suggested a variety of policies that will make it easier for everyone to afford some form of post-secondary education.

The “Pay as You Earn” plan will cap off federal income-based loan payments at 10 percent of disposable income. This is to ensure that our post-graduation phase is not crippled by debt.

In addition, President Obama is focusing on lowering the overall cost of college. He hopes to encourage institutions to maintain affordability by awarding those who keep net tuition cost low with more federal aid. The “Race to the Top: College Affordability and Completion Initiative” will invest $1 billion of funding to colleges with affordable tuition rates.

Community colleges are another area of concern that President Obama plans to improve. By strengthening the relationship between community colleges and businesses, students will be better able to secure jobs upon graduating. The Community College to Career Fund, which Obama proposed in the 2013 budget, would use $8 billion to help community colleges and career centers focus on training workers in high-demand professions.

As President, Obama has doubled funding for Pell Grants, bringing the total investment to more than $40 billion dollars. 3.7 million more students are receiving them than before his term. According to U.S. News, 24 percent of students attending The University of Alabama receive Pell Grants. The University of Alabama at Huntsville and The University of Alabama at Birmingham have even higher percentages of Pell Grant recipients.

Mitt Romney’s plan to cut middle-class investments could cut Pell Grants for nearly 9.6 million students, and he would eliminate the President’s college tax credit. His suggestion to students worried about paying for college is to “shop around.”

Obama has worked to keep interest rates on student loans low by keeping the Stafford loan rate at 3.4 percent and promising not to raise rates for students if re-elected.

During the second presidential debate, a 20-year-old college student prompted President Obama with the question of how someone could guarantee that he would find a job and be able to support himself after graduating. The President replied by promising to provide “good paying jobs that could support a family,” and explaining that he would use money previously spent on wars to rebuild America – starting with education.

For President Obama, higher education is considered a necessity rather than a luxury. He hopes to ensure that it is readily available and affordable for all Americans.

-President Obama plans to encourage lower tuition rates with incintives, like more federal aid

-He wants to strengthen the relationship between community college and business, making jobs more securable

-President Obama has already doubled Pell Grant funding, and will continue to suport Pell Grant funding