Key talking points for use in presenting the initiative:

Well-educated citizens are crucial to America�s ability to confront the challenges of the future. Our standard of living and America�s place in the world, the survival of our free, democratic society, the quality of life in our communities, the competitive strength of our economy, our very future, all depend on Americans who are better and more fully educated than ever before.

Every Solutions activity -  ads, speeches, letters-to-the-editor, etc. - should incorporate the core campaign tagline:

America�s colleges and universities teach the people who solve the problems and change the world.

Theme 1: Solve Problems and Compete Globally
Higher education is a source of solutions to our most pressing problems.

Through teaching and research, America�s colleges and universities produce new ideas, new discoveries, and a richer civic and cultural life.

We depend on colleges and universities for innovations in medicine, business, science, technology, national security, environmental quality, and many other fields.

Colleges and universities are key contributors to social mobility, economic growth and productivity, higher quality healthcare, workforce preparation, global competitiveness, civic participation, and service to communities.

Higher education benefits those who attend, but it also benefits society as a whole. We all benefit from what colleges and universities do to prepare the people who solve the problems and teach the people who change the world.

Theme 2: Invest in the Future
The status quo is not good enough, and it means we fall behind our international competitors.

To maintain our economic competitiveness and sustain economic growth, we need to increase the capacity and quality of American higher education.

We must ensure that America remains a land of opportunity for all as we seek to meet the workforce needs that stem from this information society and changing demographics.

We must reinvest to maintain our global advantage.

We benefit now from public investments made 40 and 50 years ago. It�s our turn to re-invest in today�s generation, and secure our future for a better tomorrow.

The public benefit from higher education requires a public investment. Higher education functions best when colleges and universities, governments, individual citizens, and the broader society work together:

• To ensure an adequate state and federal investment in higher education
• To control rising college costs
• To ensure accountability
• To strengthen other rungs on the educational ladder, including K-12 education

• State and federal budget constraints
• Rising college costs
• Gaps in the educational pipeline and greater economic inequality within higher education