Mr. Obama deserves recognition for putting forward a reasonable proposal that was in the ballpark of what Republicans would accept, and for rejecting partisan pleas to stick with his previous advocacy, electorally motivated, of setting low loan rates a year or two at a time.

For at least a half-century, the University of California has been considered the premier system in U.S. public higher education. The Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses always rank among the top 10 state schools, with several other UC campuses close behind.

No financial scheme -- no matter how innovative -- can overcome the ultimate reality that this is not an economically sustainable long-term trend. We are currently overinvested in higher education.

Although two- and four-year colleges are important linchpins in state economies, there is a growing sense that the existing system is not as productive as it needs to be, particularly in this era of tight budgets. State leaders must seek out reforms that leverage existing investments more effectively and that put their higher education systems on a stable, sustainable path.

On Monday, the interest rate on roughly one out of every three new student loans will double, increasing from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.  A year ago, Congress put together a temporary fix that cost taxpayers about $6 billion, but saved students approximately $9.00 per month.

Two separate plans have been...

This research conference will push past tired discussions to explore opportunities for a more fundamental rethinking of the way aid is designed and delivered. At this conference, America’s foremost thinkers on financial aid reform will discuss 10 new pieces of research on how innovations in financial aid policy can create a more effective and sustainable system.

This new research, featuring America’s foremost thinkers on financial aid reform, offers new ideas and recommendations for how to fundamentally reinvent the way student financial aid is designed and delivered.