In an unavailing effort to placate critics, the government has said that it will increase the total number of places in colleges, to ensure that no qualified student is worse off.

ECONOMIST: Education and caste in India

In an era when a high school diploma is no longer a guarantee of a good job, let's make college affordable for every qualified student. (Applause.) As I said at the State of the Union, no graduate should have to pay more than 10 percent of his or her income on student loans each year. (Applause.) We can see to it that they don't.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Holds a Town Hall in New Hampshire

Mr. KASHIKO KARIM (Student): In our generation the qualified people, I mean the students, they do not want to join the politics.

NPR: Upheaval Marks Another Election in Bangladesh

In a 2006 report by a congressional advisory committee on student financial aid, only 54% of college-qualified low-income students enrolled in a four-year college and 21% in a two-year college.

WSJ: Should More College Financial Aid Be Based on Need, Not Merit?

And so it's been one of our challenges to insure that we have highly-qualified teachers, and we have the right kind of courses and student support structures so that we could begin to bring students to standards to meet the No Child Left Behind Act.

NPR: A Principal's View of 'No Child Left Behind'