On March 10th, President Obama announced the launching of a Student Aid Bill of Rights, which he hopes will “…underscore his vision for an affordable, quality education for all Americans.”

According to the Office of the White House Press Secretary, President Obama will sign a Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Education and other federal agencies to work across the federal government to do more to help borrowers afford their monthly college loan payments.

The Student Aid Bill of Rights states that:

• Every student deserves access to a quality, affordable education at a college that’s cutting costs and increasing learning.
• Every student should be able to access the resources needed to pay for college.
• Every borrower has the right to an affordable repayment plan.
• Every borrower has the right to quality customer service, reliable information, and fair treatment, even if they struggle to repay their loans.

While this new plan presents a significant moment for America’s college students, it is not the Obama Administration’s first foray into the college-cost conundrum. In January 2015, President Obama proposed a plan to make community college free to “responsible students.” According to the Office of the White House Press Secretary, this would benefit nine-million students. US News & World Report reporter Allie Bidwell, notes that, to be eligible for this program, students would have to attend school half-time and maintain a 2.5 GPA. The federal government will cover 75 percent of the community-college cost, while states that choose to take part in this program will have to cover the rest of the cost. Bidwell’s article includes footage from KETV, an Omaha, Nebraska news station which displays public response to the plan. Bystander Sheryl Wedel believes that this program might raise taxes.

Slate writer Jordan Weissman, in his article Obama’s Free Community College Program Has a Catch, highlights a contradiction in the program, “According to the budget documents released by the White House today, students from families that earn more than $200,000 per year would not be eligible for free tuition.” It was thought to be universal but, in actuality, blocks out certain people. “Capping eligibility based on income is the exact opposite of creating a universal program, and in this case, it makes very, very little sense to me as a political or policy decision.”