Weekly Address: A Student Aid Bill of Rights (March 14, 2015)

奧巴馬每周電視講話：總統關注學生援助權利法案

Hi, everybody.

大家好！

Earlier this week, I visited with students at Georgia Tech to talk about the importance of higher education in the new economy, and how we can make it more affordable.

本周早些時候，我走訪了佐治亞理工學院與一名同學談論了新經濟環境下高等教育的重要性，并介紹了我們為讓高校學費更親民所要做的事情。

In an economy increasingly built on innovation, the most important skill you can sell is your knowledge. That's why higher education is, more than ever, the surest ticket to the middle class.

在不斷依賴創新驅動的經濟環境下，最可待價而沽的技能就是你的學識。因此，高等教育也就成為躋身中產階級的保票，而且越來越明顯。

But just when it's never been more important, it's also never been more expensive. The average undergrad who borrows to pay for college ends up graduating with about $28,000 in student loan debt.

但就在高等教育變得越來越重要的時候，學費也貴的無以復加了。平均算下來，每一位貸款上學的在校生在畢業的時候，背負的助學貸款達2.8萬美元之多。

That's why my Administration has worked hard to make college more affordable. We expanded tax credits and Pell Grants, enacted the largest reform to student loan programs in history, and fought to keep interest rates on student loans low. We've acted to let millions of graduates cap loan payments at 10 percent of their income, so they don't have to choose between paying the rent and paying back their debt. I've sent Congress my plan to bring the cost of community college down to zero-because two years of higher education should be as free and universal as high school is today.

因此，本屆政府一直致力于降低高校學費。我們擴大了稅收優惠和佩爾獎學金的發放范圍，實施了有史以來最大規模的助學貸款改革計劃，積極爭取將助學貸款利率保持在較低水平。我們采取措施，讓數百萬畢業生的助學貸款還款額度限制在其收入的10%以內，避免讓他們面臨支付房租和償還貸款的兩難選擇。我還向國會遞交了一份計劃，將社區大學的學費降低到0，當今時代，兩年的社區大學應該像高中一樣免費、普及。

But all of us-elected officials, universities, business leaders-everybody-needs to do more to bring down college costs. Which is why this week, I unveiled another way that we can help more Americans afford college. It doesn't involve any new spending or bureaucracy. It's a simple declaration of values-what I call a Student Aid Bill of Rights. It says that every student deserves access to a quality, affordable education. Every student should be able to access the resources to pay for college. Every borrower has the right to an affordable repayment plan. And every borrower has the right to quality customer service, reliable information, and fair treatment, even if they struggle to repay their loans.

但我們所有人，包括民選官員、大學和企業的領導，每個人都需要做出更多努力來降低大學學費。因此，這個星期，我公布了另一項計劃來幫助更多美國人更好承擔大學學費。這不會產生新的財政支出和官僚主義。這只是對價值觀的簡單梳理，我取名叫《學生援助權利法案》。該法案聲明每個學生都有權獲得高質量、低成本的教育。每個學生都應該能夠獲得支付大學學費的必要資源。每一個借款人都有權利獲得可承擔的還款計劃。每一個借款人都有權利得到高質量的客戶服務，可信的信息，公平的對待，即便他們快要還不起貸款了也是如此。

That's it. Just a few simple principles. But if we all rally around these principles, there's a lot that colleges, lenders, and the people you sent to Washington and to your state legislatures can do to realize them across the country.

主題就是這些。很簡單的原則。但如果我們都支持這些原則，大學、放貸人、我們這些華盛頓的官員以及各州的立法者們都有大量事情可做，來實現這些目標。

So if you believe in a Student Aid Bill of Rights that will help more Americans pay for a quality education, I'm asking you to visit WhiteHouse.gov/CollegeOpportunity. Sign your name to this declaration. Tell your families, and your friends, and fellow students. I'm going to ask Members of Congress, and lenders, and as many business leaders as I can find. Because making sure that students aren't saddled with debt before they even get started in life is in all our interests.

因此，如果你相信《學生援助權利法案》可以幫助更多美國人民得到高質量的教育，我請求你訪問WhiteHouse.gov/CollegeOpportunity。簽名支持這部法案。并告訴你的家人、朋友、同學。我也將呼吁國會議員、放貸人、盡可能多的企業領導來支持這部法案。因為確保學生在開始新生活前不被巨大的債務壓垮符合我們所有人的利益。

In America, a higher education cannot be a privilege reserved for only the few. It has to be available to everybody who's willing to work for it.

在美國，高等教育不應該是只為少數人保留的特權。它應該是每個希望得到的人可以得到的普遍權利。

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

謝謝大家，祝你們周末愉快。

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