Republicans are fond of labeling Obama, and liberals in general, as "arrogant" and "elitest." Our country's academics and university faculty come under particular criticism from the right, despite the fact that our much of our country's intellectual property is invented and developed through academic instituions. This notion that higher education is somehow an arrogant pursuit, rather than a vehicle for personal betterment and societal advance, was crystalized in Rick Santorum's claim that Obama was a "snob" for supporting the notion that higher eduction should be accessible (http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/03/news/la-pn-santorum-college-remarks-20120303).
While the GOP would look at higher education as a privilege, Obama has worked to make education more accessible, by expanding the Pell Grants program, giving more low income students the opportunity to go to college, signing the GI Bill 2.0, and shoring up student loan programs, making it easier for students to refinance and qualify for student aid.
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