Higher education is the foundation of opportunity in this country. Nothing will do more to prepare our children for the careers of the future. But today, the cost of college is increasing exponentially.

Last year, tuition at state universities increased nationwide, by as much as 40 percent in some states. Due to record-high financial barriers, more than 400,000, low- and moderate-income high school graduates who are fully prepared to attend a four-year college will be unable to do so. Students and their parents are being forced to shoulder an even greater share of the rising costs of attending college. The average college student graduates with $17,500 in debt. The Republican answer? Raid $12 billion from student aid programs and freeze the maximum Pell Grant scholarship through 2013 even while tuition costs and inflation rise.

All students should have the opportunity to earn a college degree through hard work in high school and college. That is why the Democratic plan to increase access to higher education includes:

Boosting college opportunities and making college more affordable. Democrats want to make higher education more affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to $5,800 this year, doubling the HOPE Scholarship tax credit from $1,500 per student to $3,000 per student, and making the HOPE tax credit refundable. Democrats also want to create incentives for colleges and universities to reduce costs.
Reducing the cost of student loans. Reduce the costs of all student loans, by allowing borrowers to consolidate their student loans more than once - so that they can take advantage of lowered interest rates, and eliminate student loan taxes. Further, the plan will eliminate the student loan tax, or origination fee, which will save the typical student borrower more than $500 while she is in school, just at the time when she needs the money to pay for tuition, books and other college-related costs.

Expand access to college by strengthening the GEAR UP and TRIO. Democrats want to increase support for GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program), which encourages more young people from low-income families to aspire to and prepare early for college, and TRIO, which helps low-income children attend and complete college.

Enhance funding for minority-serving institutions. Democrats want to increase funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Alaska Native- and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions.

Student loan relief for teachers and graduates who enter public schools. Forgive the student loans of highly qualified public service teachers who commit to five years in high-poverty schools and of excellent professionals in other public-service careers with personnel shortages.