Hi, everybody.

 

This is commencement（开始，毕业典礼） season, a time for graduates and their families to celebrate one of the greatest achievements of a young person's life. But for many graduates, it also means feeling trapped by a whole lot of student loan debt. And we've got to do more to lift that Burden.

 

See, in a 21st century economy, the surest pathway into the middle class is some form of higher education. The unemployment rate for workers with a bachelor's degree is just 3.3 percent-about half what it is for high school graduates. The typical graduate of a four-year college earns $15,000 more per year than someone with just a high school degree.

 

But at a time when college has never been more important, it's also never been more expensive. That's why, since I took office, I've worked to make college more affordable¹. We reformed a student loan system that gave away billions of taxpayer² dollars to big banks and invested that money where it makes a bigger bang-in helping³ more young people afford a higher education.

 

But over the past three decades, the average tuition（学费） at a public four-year college has more than tripled. The average undergraduate student who borrows for college now graduates owing almost 30,000.

 

And I've heard from too many young people who are frustrated⁴ that they've done everything they were supposed to do-and now they're paying the price. I've taken action on my own to offer millions of students the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to 10% of their income.

 

But Congress needs to do its part. The good news is that Senate Democrats⁵ are working on a bill that would help more young people save money. Just like you can refinance your mortgage at a lower interest rate, this bill would let you refinance（再供资金） your student loans.

 

And we'd pay for it by closing loopholes that allow some millionaires to pay a lower tax rate than the middle class. That's the choice that your representatives in Congress will make in the coming weeks-protect young people from crushing debt, or protect tax breaks for millionaires.

 

And while Congress decides what it's going to do, I will keep doing whatever I can without Congress to help responsible young people pay off their loans-including new action I will take this week.

 

This country has always made a commitment to put a good education within the reach of all who are willing to work for it. That's what made us an economic superpower. That's what makes us special.

 

And as long as I hold this office, I'll keep fighting to give more young people the chance to earn their own piece of the American Dream.

 

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

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