On January 25, President Barack Obama presented the world with his State of the Union address, informing Americans what his national plans and priorities would be for the next four years. And once the topic turned to college affordability, he made a statement that piqued the interest of university students and faculty. “Let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down,” Obama said. “Higher education can’t be a luxury – it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.” Iowa State is ranked third in the U.S. for highest debt rate.