Last week during his State of the Union, President Obama outlined an education agenda focused on pursuing “a country that leads the world in educating its people.” Two critical elements of this blueprint are to raise the compulsory education age to 18 and to improve the affordability of higher education through expanded student aid and other programs aimed at controlling costs. Underlying these proposals, of course, is a recognition that education is not only an essential question of justice and equality, but also one that is at the very heart of our national interest and economic well-being.