WCTV's Andy Alcock sits down with Vice President Biden and you can see the whole one-on-one interview above

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden says the Obama administration's plans to pressure states into keeping college and university tuition down probably won't apply to Florida.

Biden says that's because Florida's tuition rates already are among the nation's lowest. Biden made remarks at an Obama campaign fundraiser reception Monday.

State University System officials had criticized the administration's plans prior to Biden's appearance at Florida State University to promote tuition affordability.

A system spokeswoman later said officials were hopeful Florida would be spared from any penalties but haven't seen anything in writing yet.

President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address that federal aid should be withheld from colleges and universities that don't keep net tuition down and provide good value.

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Feb. 6, 2012 - Noon -

Vice President Joe Biden is in the Capital City. He's talking about what the Federal Government is doing to help America's students get an affordable college education.

Eyewitness News was at the Florida State University Basketball practice facility where Vice President Joe Biden and Under Secretary of Education, Martha Kantor spoke today to community members and students, discussing the importance of tackling rising college costs.

The goal of the discussion today is to ensure Americans get the training and education they need for 21St century jobs. President Obama laid out a blueprint in his State of the Union address for an economy that is built on American manufacturing, American energy and a renewal of American values. The White House says to reach the goal of having the highest share of college graduates by 2020, college must be made more affordable. The Vice President is discussing the steps the administration is taking to keep college affordable both in Florida and across the country. He also reiterated President Obama's call to Congress to move forward with new reforms that will address the college affordability challenge.

"For me.....the hobby horses i have been riding," Biden says.

Now if these proposals are passed, this will be the first time in history that the Federal Government has tied campus aid to responsible campus tuition.

WCTV's Andy Alcock is sitting down with Vice President Biden and will have a one-on-one interview for you tonight.

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Feb. 6, 2012 -

Vice President Joe Biden will speak at Florida State University later this morning and will talk about college affordability certainly; an important topic in a college town like Tallahassee.

We're told that the Vice President will discuss the importance of tackling rising college costs to ensure America's students and workers can obtain the education and training they need. The Obama administration says this is crucial so that this country will have a workforce prepared for the jobs of the 21st century.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out a blueprint for an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values. As an important part of keeping the American promise alive, the President called for a comprehensive approach to tackling rising college costs. As part of a continuing national dialogue on the issue, the Vice President will discuss the importance of college and the steps the Administration has taken to keep college affordable in Florida and across the country. He will also echo President Obama's call to Congress to advance new reforms that will promote shared responsibility to address the college affordability challenge. If these proposals are passed, this will be the first time in history that the federal government has tied federal campus aid to responsible campus tuition policies.

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A reception featuring Vice President Joe Biden will be held at the spacious Challenger Center on Kleman Plaza, just steps from the Capitol Building. The event will feature Vice President Joe Biden and include many Florida leaders and luminaries.

Please RSVP to Dr. Rachel Pienta at drpienta@gmail.com for ticket information and event updates. Note: there is also a drawing for early ticket purchasers - you could be entered to win a dinner at a private home in Tallahassee with the Vice President during his visit!

Join the Vice President in Tallahassee

Please join Vice President Biden at a reception in Tallahassee.

What: Obama Victory Fund 2012 - Reception with the Vice President

Where:

The Challenger Center
200 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, Florida

When: Monday, February 6, 2012; time to be determined

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February 6, 2012

Republican Response to Vice-President Joe Biden’s Visit

Good Morning – Vice President Biden is on another taxpayer funded campaign stop in Florida today amid news that Floridians are increasingly pessimistic about the state of the economy. Biden will no doubt try to rewrite the history on the Obama Administration’s record on college affordability so please see the facts below for the real story on President Obama’s record. If you are writing on Vice President Biden’s visit or you are hosting a Democratic surrogate surrounding the trip, please consider the following comment from the RNC:

“Vice President Biden’s taxpayer funded campaign stop won’t change the fact that President Obama has failed to make college more affordable for Florida’s students for the past three years of his administration. College costs are at an all time high and the average Florida student now graduates college with $21,184 in student loan debt. President Obama ran on ‘change’ in 2008 and it’s clear that Florida’s students have experienced nothing but change for the worse as a result of his failed policies.” – RNC Spokesperson Matt Connelly

Obama’s State Of The Union College Affordability Plan Falls Short

Liberal Center For American Progress’s Matt Miller Calls Obama’s Recent Higher Education Initiatives A “Textbook Examples Of Proposals” To Get The Youth Vote And Does “Little To Address The Problem.” “The president deserves credit for calling out soaring tuition and unsustainable student debt as huge barriers to upward mobility and a strong middle class. But unfortunately, the remedies he sketched in his State of the Union address and in a speech at the University of Michigan last week are textbook examples of proposals meant to signal the president’s ‘values’ (and win votes) while doing little to address the problem.” (Matt Miller, Op-Ed, “Obama’s Disappointing College Plan,” The Washington Post, 2/1/12)

· Obama’s College Costs Plan “May Not Spark Game-Changing Reform.” “But an initial review of data provided by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the White House suggests that the initiative may not spark game-changing reform here.” (Beth Hawkins And Devin Henry, “Obama’s Student-Aid Plan May Not Spark Game-Changing Reform Here, Initial Review Suggests,” Minnesota Post, 1/30/12)

· Obama’s Plan Translates To “More Student Debt.” “If that’s the big picture, what’s the president’s plan? He’d boost campus-based Perkins loans and target the increase to schools taking steps to slow the growth of tuition. Translation: more student debt, administered in ways that may at the margins reward colleges that have had smaller price increases than others.” (Matt Miller, Op-Ed, “Obama’s Disappointing College Plan,” The Washington Post, 2/1/12)

· It Is Hard To See Obama’s Plan As “Anything More Than Tinkering At The Edges Of Tinkering At The Edges.” “But in light of the facts above, it’s hard to see this package as anything more than tinkering at the edges of tinkering at the edges.” (Matt Miller, Op-Ed, “Obama’s Disappointing College Plan,” The Washington Post, 2/1/12)

· Obama’s Plan Fails At Tackling College Costs. “But is the president’s plan anywhere close to seriously tackling this major national problem? No. So sorry, Mr. President. Good enough to win reelection just isn’t good enough.” (Matt Miller, Op-Ed, “Obama’s Disappointing College Plan,” The Washington Post, 2/1/12)

Education Leaders Are Worried That Obama’s Plan Reeks Of The Threat Of “Government Overreach.” “President Barack Obama's new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities who are already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts.” (Kimberly Hefling, “Obama Given Poor Grades On College Tuition Plan,” The Associated Press, 1/29/12)

· Head Of American Council On Education Said Plan Amounts To “Price Controls” On Already Struggling Institutions. “’When we hear things like a shift in federal aid, it causes our antennas to go straight up,’ said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education. ‘Anything that smacks of price controls is of great concern on many levels, especially at a time when states are cutting their budgets — and if the effect of this is to limit tuition, what else would you call it but price controls?’ Ms. Broad said that she and university presidents across the nation shared the president’s commitment to affordable higher education, but that it was not so easy to keep tuition down at a time when institutions must also absorb state budget cuts, increase enrollment and bolster financial aid for the growing number of families who need it.” (Tamar Lewin, “Obama Plan Links College Aid With Affordability,” The New York Times, 1/27/12)

· Obama Has Shown That He Doesn’t “Understand How The Budgets Of Public Universities Work.” “University of Washington President Mike Young said Obama showed he did not understand how the budgets of public universities work. Young said the total cost to educate college students in Washington state, which is paid for by both tuition and state government dollars, has actually gone down because of efficiencies on campus. While universities are tightening costs, the state is cutting their subsidies and authorizing tuition increases to make up for the loss.” (Jim Kuhnhenn And Kimberly Hefling, “Obama ‘Putting Colleges On Notice’ On High Tuition,” The Associated Press, 1/27/12)

Education Experts Expressed Concern With Plan, Suggesting It Might Hurt Colleges, Rather Than Help. “Some education experts, however, worry that by tying aid to costs, changes like those proposed might instead lead to lower-quality college education, with larger class sizes and greater use of adjuncts. Furthermore, they worry that public institutions suffering the most from declines in state support — and therefore under the most pressure to raise tuition — could be further hurt by losing access to some federal aid.” (Tamar Lewin, “Obama Plan Links College Aid With Affordability,” The New York Times, 1/27/12)

· By Tying Federal Aid To Costs, Education Experts Are Concerned That Obama’s Plan May Lower The Quality Of Education While Increasing Classroom Sizes. “Some education experts, however, worry that by tying aid to costs, changes like those proposed might instead lead to lower-quality college education, with larger class sizes and greater use of adjuncts.” (Tamar Lewin, “Obama Plan Links College Aid With Affordability,” The New York Times, 1/27/12)

Obama’s Plan Only Applies To A Small Portion Of Federal Grants And Loans. “The money Obama is targeting is what's known as ‘campus based’ aid given to colleges to distribute in areas such as Perkins loans or in work study programs. Of the $142 billion in federal grants and loans distributed in the last school year, about $3 billion went to these programs.” (Kimberly Heflling and Jim Kuhnhenn, “Obama To Target Rising College Tuition Costs,” The Associated Press, 1/27/12)

Increased Funding Of Perkins Loans Would Also Fund Federal Loans Which Carry “Higher Interest Rates.” “The fine print is complicated and still being scrutinized, but it’s possible that if approved, the increase in Perkins money would actually fund more Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans, which have higher interest rates — at 6.8 percent they are almost as expensive as a credit card — would have no forgiveness provisions for public service, and do not represent a net increase in federal spending.” (Beth Hawkins And Devin Henry, “Obama’s Student-Aid Plan May Not Spark Game-Changing Reform Here, Initial Review Suggests,” Minnesota Post, 1/30/12)

· Increasing The Amount Of Work-Study Jobs And Maintaining The Current Stafford Loans’ Interest Rate “Would Be Expensive.” “While administration officials said the Perkins changes would have no impact on the federal budget, other parts of the plan — like doubling the number of work-study jobs, and keeping the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans at the current 3.4 percent — would be expensive.” (Tamar Lewin, “Obama Plan Links College Aid With Affordability,” The New York Times, 1/27/12)

· Obama’s Plan To Extend Stafford Loan Interest Rates Will Cost The Federal Government $7 Billion. “But how will the Obama administration pay for a one-year extension of the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduate students? Approximately 7.4 million students will borrow about $3,500 in subsidized Stafford loans on average, costing the federal government more than $7 billion.” (Mark Kantrowitz, “Will President Obama’s Blueprint Cut College Costs?” The New York Times’ “The Choice,” 1/30/12)

Obama’s Proposal Fails To Counteract Plummeting State Aid Levels. “Nor would the proposal do anything to counteract plummeting state aid levels, which this year dipped below the amount spent on higher ed in 2000— in real dollars, not adjusted for inflation.” (Beth Hawkins And Devin Henry, “Obama’s Student-Aid Plan May Not Spark Game-Changing Reform Here, Initial Review Suggests,” Minnesota Post, 1/30/12)

· While Making Only A “Modest Impact On Tuition Inflation.” “President Obama’s proposal to provide colleges with an incentive to keep tuition affordable will have a modest impact on tuition inflation.” (Mark Kantrowitz, “Will President Obama’s Blueprint Cut College Costs?” The New York Times’ “The Choice,” 1/30/12)

· The Plan May Also Cut Off Federal Funding Of Public Institutions That Have Had To Raise Tuition Due To Less State Funding. “Furthermore, they worry that public institutions suffering the most from declines in state support — and therefore under the most pressure to raise tuition — could be further hurt by losing access to some federal aid.” (Tamar Lewin, “Obama Plan Links College Aid With Affordability,” The New York Times, 1/27/12)

Under Obama, Cost Of College At “An All Time High”

Over The Past Year, The Cost Of College Has Increased By Thousands At Public Universities. “Public four-year universities charged residents an average of $8,244, up 8.3% from last year, while public two-year schools charged an average of $2,963, up 8.7%, says the report by the non-profit College Board. About 80% of the nation’s undergraduates attend public institutions.” (Mary Beth Marklein, “Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges,” USA Today, 10/25/11)

Cost Of College Is A “Kick In The Gut.” “It's a kick in the gut even for students and families hardened to bad financial news: Average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an additional $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago.” (Justin Poe, “College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets,” The Associated Press, 10/26/11)
The Cost Of College Is Currently At “An All Time High.” “Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. Throw in room and board, and the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year, according to the twin annual reports on college costs and student aid published Wednesday by the College Board.” (Justin Poe, “College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets,” The Associated Press, 10/26/11)

The Price Of College Increased Double The Rate Of Inflation Between July 2010 And July 2011. “That increase is more than double the inflation rate of 3.6% between July 2010 and July 2011. Family earnings dropped across all income levels. And state funding per student declined by 4% in 2010, the latest year available, and 23% over the past decade, the report says.” (Mary Beth Marklein, “Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges,” USA Today, 10/25/11)
Last Fall, Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” Student Loan Plan Didn’t “Go Anywhere Near To Solving The Root Of The Problem.” “The student loan relief plan President Obama announced on Wednesday as part of his ‘we can’t wait’ for Congress to act tour, rings a lot like the refinancing plan he announced on Monday for underwater homeowners. It allows Obama to take credit for addressing an economic grievance of voters, but is a modest move that doesn't go anywhere near to solving the root of the problem.”(Stacy Kaper, “Obama Student Loan Relief Is Modest But Could Prove Politically Smart,” National Journal, 10/26/11)

Obama’s Plan “Only Reaches The Tip Of The Iceberg” While Ignoring The Increasing Costs Of Tuition And Jobs For Graduates. “Consumer advocates who focus on student lending praised the effort as a first step but were plain that the initiative only reaches the tip of the iceberg. It chips away at student loan bills but does nothing to address soaring tuition costs, and the scores of recent graduates struggling to find jobs even with advanced degrees.” (Stacy Kaper, “Obama Student Loan Relief Is Modest But Could Prove Politically Smart,” National Journal, 10/26/11)
Consolidation Of Student Loans Under Obama’s Plan Would Provide Monthly Savings Of Less Than $10 For The Average Student. “Using these values as the high and low bounds of average student debt over the last ten years, the monthly savings for the average student loan borrower would be between $4.50 and $7.75 per month. Clearly, this isn't going to save the economy. While borrowers with bigger balances would save more, this is the average. And even someone with $100,000 in loans would only cut their monthly payments by $28.50.” (Daniel Indiviglio, “Obama’s Student-Loan Order Saves The Average Grad Less Than $10 A Mont,” The Atlantic, 10/26/11)

Many College Graduates Will Not Qualify For The Income Based Payment Plan Because Average Incomes For Those Graduates Is Above $40,000. “Student loan balances have really only ballooned over the past decade. So this change would affect very few Americans over the age of 32. For the young adults who it may effect, we must remember that educational attainment has some correlation to income. Those with the most debt will have attended business school, medical school, or law school. Most of those people will also have higher incomes, making them ineligible. For a person with the average student debt load, their annual income would need to be lower than $32,000** to qualify. The average income for Bachelor's degree holders aged 25 to 34 is $40,100.” (Daniel Indiviglio, “Obama’s Student-Loan Order Saves The Average Grad Less Than $10 A Mont,” The Atlantic, 10/26/11)
And Obama’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program “Won’t Be Felt For Decades.” “Of all these parts of Obama's executive order, the loan forgiveness aspect will have the least impact. By moving the timeline from 25 to 20 years, it could be significant in the long run -- but it won't be felt for decades. Remember, 82% of the current student loan debt outstanding was accrued in just the past decade. So it will be at least another 10 years before any of those borrowers have hit the 20-year mark in their student loan payments.” (Daniel Indiviglio, “Obama’s Student-Loan Order Saves The Average Grad Less Than $10 A Mont,” The Atlantic, 10/26/11)