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1. Community colleges are focus of White House summit - http://bit.ly/bR60I3 #cnn

‎"The goal is to ensure there are strong partnerships between growing industries and community college or training programs in every state in the country," Obama said. He called community colleges one of the nation's most under-valued assets, and repeated his goal of increasing the number of community college degrees and certificates by 5 million by the year 2020."

2. Retirement funds tapped for kids' tuition http://t.co/Qvf7UON

"The main problem with raiding retirement accounts for college is that it triggers big tax penalties compared to other types of investment plans. Even taking a loan out against a 401(k) can be dangerous, because it has to be paid back within 5 years, or immediately when the borrower changes jobs.Also, when retirement accounts are tapped for college, that money counts as adjusted gross income and will reduce the amount of financial aid a family qualifies for the following year by as much as 47%, according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb.com and FinAid.org."

3. RT @USATODAY Obama seeks to partner businesses, 2-year colleges http://usat.me/40462546

"Over the next decade, nearly eight in 10 new jobs will require higher education and workforce training, economists project. As part of his goal for the USA to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, Obama last year challenged the nation's 1,200 community colleges to produce an additional 5 million graduates. He also has acknowledged that many community colleges — and the more than 8 million students enrolled in them — face significant challenges. Just 25% of students at two-year schools earn a credential or transfer to a four-year college within three years."

4. RT @USATODAY Families can better afford college if they strategize early http://usat.me/40460924

"One key is applying to a variety of schools — public, private, in-state, and a local community college as a backup plan, recommends admissions consultant Katherine Cohen of ApplyWise.com. In an online survey of 137 families with college-bound students, ApplyWise and media partner NextStepU found that more than a third said it was likely that their child would go to community college for two years, then transfer to a four-year school. In 2008, only 13% said that was likely. Make sure every school you apply to is one you would be happy to attend, but also make sure you have one you can get into and afford, Cohen says. "You have to think about fit in so many ways."

5. Raining on the Parade - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/bQX7MQ

"In a report released Monday, a marketing firm working for the Coalition for Educational Success, an advocacy group for several privately held for-profit companies, argues that community colleges engage in “unsavory recruitment practices” and offer students “poorer-than-expected academic quality, course availability, class scheduling, job placement and personal attention.”

6. Support All College Options - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/c6berB

‎"These diverse options are unlike those offered by any other nation and include small liberal arts colleges, community colleges, large public universities, online universities, for-profit schools and research institutions. Each sector serves a slightly different niche of students and provides quality programs leading to degrees ranging from an associate to a doctorate. And each will contribute significantly to achieving President Obama’s goal."

7. Americans Support Community Colleges: AP Poll http://huff.to/cmoHi1 Huffpost

"Obama wants the United States to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. He's got his work cut out for him: Just 35 percent of community college students and 60 percent of students at four-year institutions graduate with diplomas each year."

8. Families are trimming plans to pay for college, survey finds: http://wapo.st/btrW5s

"On average, families have saved about $28,000 to pay for college. About 12 percent of that money is in 529 plans, while 14 percent comes from general savings accounts or certificates of deposit. Another 21 percent comes from investments, but the largest portion of that money - 23 percent - is in retirement savings."

9. The Most Expensive Colleges: Forbes List (PHOTOS) http://huff.to/9YgRyc Huffpost

‎"In compiling their list, Forbes evaluated the schools according to highest tuition, fees and room and board costs, using data collected by the Chronicle of Higher Education and Campus Grotto. This year, Sarah Lawrence College -- alma mater of newly-announced Chicago mayoral hopeful Rahm Emmanuel -- takes the first slot, at $57,556 per year."

10. 7 Ways to Succeed in Community College http://t.co/zH9zKe7

‎"Before selecting a community college, review how it fared in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement. The CCSSE, which is based at a nonprofit on the University of Texas, Austin campus, attempts to measure the academic excellence at community colleges. Students at participating community colleges fill out questionnaires on such topics as student and faculty interactions and academic rigor. You can find scores for individual schools at the CCSSE website."