INDIANAPOLIS – Ivy Tech Community College President Thomas J. Snyder has been selected by President Barack Obama to serve on a White House Roundtable on Affordability and Productivity in Higher Education on Monday, December 5, in Washington, D.C. 

The roundtable will also include Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, as well as senior White House advisors.  The roundtable discussion will explore effective practices to promote affordability and productivity in higher education. 

Only a small group of college presidents were invited to participate and directly engage with President Obama in a candid conversation designed to explore how America can best restore its leadership in higher education attainment by removing barriers to college access, affordability and success for students. 

“I’m very honored to be asked to participate in this very important discussion,” said Snyder.  “Many of our students are part-time, working adults that face financial challenges when it comes to paying for a college education.  I’m eager to share my thoughts and perceptions with the President and senior advisors.” 

Global competitiveness has made it more important than ever to attain higher education, but the cost of college has nearly tripled over the past three decades, forcing students to take out more loans and rack up more debt in pursuit of the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a twenty-first century economy. 

The Obama Administration has committed to a policy agenda to advance college access, affordability and attainment, by increasing student financial aid and enhancing transparency around college affordability information. At the same time, President Obama has acknowledged that meeting the challenge of increased access and affordability is a goal in which all colleges each share responsibility and a stake – particularly at a time when shouldering the financial burden associated with attaining a higher education degree is greater than ever for students and families. 

The invite follows President Snyder’s previous invitation to attend the first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges in October 2010.  

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly-accredited statewide community college system with more than 200,000 students enrolled annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.