The largest-ever cut to student loans comes before the U.S. House of Representatives today.
If passed, the bill will increase the upper limit for student loans but will cut $12.7 billion in federal student aid while increasing interest rates.
The bill passed in the Senate 51-50 - with the deciding vote cast by Vice President Dick Cheney - and it's been endorsed by the president as well as congressional Republicans, who currently command the House majority.
In the past 10 years, student debt has doubled, and this bill is likely to make those numbers even more drastic.
But these were not the concerns presented by President George W. Bush in last night's State of the Union.
They were also not the concerns addressed by Gov. Mitch Daniels during the State of the State address on Jan. 11.
Alternative energy sources, heath care, international policies, cigarette taxes and road construction, instead, were the topics addressed by the leaders of our nation and state.
They seemed to have overlooked the fact that alternative energy sources cannot be developed without educated physicists, chemists and energy specialists. Not to mention that health care reforms, tax policies and international relations are managed by people with college degrees. Even the people planning the I-69 expansion - and many of those arguing over it - have the education to back up their efforts.
Education might not be the most important issue to these political leaders, but it is the foundation of what makes this country work - or not work, as education becomes increasingly more difficult to obtain.
The education issue is about more than test results and competition with other nations; it's also about how much this country is investing in the education of its future leaders - not just those leaders in politics, but those in technology, energy, economics and education as well.
As the cost of college rises, the ability of the average high school graduate to go for a degree diminishes. And, frankly, there won't be factory jobs to fall back on in the near future.
By ignoring this monumental cut to student federal aid, political leaders are indicating a lack of concern for the college students of today - and utter disregard for the direction higher education is heading in.
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