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Managing Student Loan DebtCollege graduation day is supposed to be fun, but it’s hard to celebrate when there is a hefty student loan debt attached to your diplomaThat is the grim reality for 72% of the Class of 2017 graduates, who owe an average of more than $37,000 for the four years (or longer) they put in earning a degree. They have a six-month grace period before the first loan payment is due and for most of them, this is not the way they expected to start their adult life.It doesn’t seem fair, but that’s what it’s like to be a student in debt. College isn’t really over until you’ve paid off the last of your student loan. This page will offer tips and advice on how to manage student loan debt, grow your finances and maintain a healthy credit score.Student Debt at $1.4 TrillionStudent loan debt isn’t just a problem, it’s a crisis, but there’s a good side to this crisis. Economists call student loans “good debt,’’ because they provide educational opportunities that otherwise might not be affordable.Unfortunately, many graduates head out in the world with credit card debtalongside their student loan debt.Students owe an estimated $1.31-trillion for loans in 2017. Approximately $4,000 in student debt is accrued every second. The average student debt for a 2016 college graduate was $37,172 (up 6% from the previous year).Living with student loan debt is not easy. Want a diploma? It’s an expensive proposition.According to 2016 statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, more than 20.5 million students are enrolled in college and the average tuition for in-state students at four-year public schools was about $9,410. For private schools, the total was about $32,405.Add in another $11,000-$13,000 for room and board and you can figure it’s going to run you at least $20,000 a year to go to school … and that’s just for state colleges and universities. If you’re aiming for the most elite schools, the costs are approaching $60,000 per year.While much of a college student’s debt comes through loans, credit cards leave a dent in the balance sheet. According to 2016 data gathered by CreditCard.com, 76% of people who had student loans also were carrying a credit card balance. In fact, credit card debt grows faster among young adults (age 18-24) than any age group.According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 41% percent of 2016 graduating seniors had credit card debt, averaging $3,000. Those with student loans, had a higher credit card balance at $3,176.It’s troubling because studies have shown that the most effective handling of finances comes for people who learned early techniques of debt management.See the problems? Now, what can be done about them?How Budgeting After College Can Help Repay Student LoansIt is virtually impossible to navigate the road to financial success without knowing how to budget and college is a great place to start tracking income and expenses.Budgeting is a two-step process that tells you volumes about your ability to manage money.The first step is to determine monthly income from all sources. In college, that could mean money from a job, your parents, and the financial aid office (loans, scholarships or grants). After college, that list usually goes down to your job and whatever help your parents might offer.Step two is to list expenses and this could take a while. There are fixed expenses like rent, utilities, phone/cable bill, food and maybe a car loan.Subtract your fixed costs from your total income and whatever is left is your disposable income to use for eating out, movies, sporting events, transportation, laundry, clothing and health care.Students who graduate with a sizable debt usually don’t know what happened to all of their disposable income and the same is true after college. If you have a budget, especially one that breaks down spending into every category possible, you’ll see that you dispose of income in places that will surprise you.Here are some idea of how to lighten the spending of disposable income:Live Like A College Kid: Some aspects of college life are worth keeping, at least in the short term. You can continue living with roommates to share in the rent and expenses. Nothing helps a budget like paying half or a third as much rent and utilities as the people who live alone.Smart Clothing: You will need dressier clothes when you enter the workforce, but there are smart ways to owning a professional wardrobe. Invest in flexible, good-quality outfits for work. Dress down in everyday life (at least for now).Learn to Cook: Eating out destroys budgets. Drinking while you’re out just compounds the problem. Learn a few easy recipes and eat in. Also, regardless of where you are eating, drink lots of water. A glass of water is free.Don’t Drive Alone: That means carpooling. Or it could mean public transportation. If you live in the right city, it might even mean walking and not even owning a car. No gas + no insurance + no repairs + no car payment = financial liberation.What about fun? Yes, you can still have fun without spending much (or any) money.Spend Time with Friends: The fine art of conversation has been all but lost thanks to the internet and social media. Why not revive it? Your grandparents called it “’’ Have some friends over, talk, have a pot-luck dinner, rent a movie, maybe play a board game. Good times. Minimal (or zero) cost.The Great Outdoors: There’s a world of fun to be had at local parks or the beach. There might be some fees, but they are minimal. Get creative and you might find plenty of new adventures at a state park — guaranteed to be more affordable than a theme park.If It’s Free, It’s for Me: Check out museums, exhibits, lectures and shows that are free, especially if you live around a college. Yes, free events actually exist. And you might learn a thing or two.How To Make A Plan To Pay Off Student LoansDebt, as you probably know, can’t just be wished away. It requires discipline. It requires sacrifice. It requires … a plan.It’s always helpful to write down goals. It makes them concrete and makes them seem more real. And it gives you incentive.Here are some steps to follow.Use The Grace Period: Lenders give you a grace period after you graduate, maybe six months to a year before you must begin repaying the loan. Why not start right away? If your payment is $300 per month after the grace period, get out in front of the loan now. And you will also create the habit of putting aside that $300 each month.Research Your Loans: Don’t just turn off your brain and mindlessly make the minimum payment. You can check the National Student Loan Data System to find all the repayment plans for federal loans. You could order a free copy of your credit report, which will name your lenders. You might utilize an income-based repayment plan based on what you’re earning. Consider loan consolidation. See if your loans qualify for a deferment, loan forgiveness or a better payment plan.Increase Your Income: You probably can’t immediately get a raise at your first job, but there might be overtime available. You could also start a side business or get a part-time job. Maybe your services or talents can command a price. All of it could produce money that’s used to pay down your debt.Deduct: You might be able to reduce your taxable income by up to $2,500 on any interest you’ve paid for that tax year on student loans. Every little bit helps.Seek Loan Forgiveness: Some employers offer student loan payments as a perk. Other jobs — any government position or job with a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit — will qualify you for loan forgiveness after making payments for 10 consecutive years. There’s even loan forgiveness offered for working in a low-income area or rural community that lacks teachers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, social workers or other in-demand professions.Sign Up For Auto-Debit: Some lenders will lower your interest rate if you enroll in an automatic payment plan. That method will also keep you away from late fees and missed payments.Avoid More Big Debts: It might seem like common sense not to go out and charge a big item on your credit card or take on another loan, but not everyone is gifted with common sense. If you have dreams of a big wedding, purchasing an elite car or buying a home, they might need to be modified in the short term.How To Avoid Defaulting On Student LoansIf you find yourself unable to make the minimum monthly payments on your student loan, be assured of one thing: they won’t just disappear.If you stop paying for 90 days, you are delinquent. If it goes 270 days (nine months) you have defaulted on the loan and the consequences can be severe.Student loans don’t have a statute of limitations. It is virtually impossible to have them wiped away during bankruptcy. They will stalk you throughout life. Don’t think you can escape.If you make a late payment on a federal student loan, there could be a late fee of 6%. Ultimately, the government can garnish up to 15% of your wages and Social Security benefits. The government can also deduct 25% of each payment for collection fees, making the loan even more expensive.Late or missed payments will show up on your credit report (for up to seven years) and harm your score.Approximately $138 billion of outstanding student loan debt is past due. Two out of five student loan borrowers are delinquent during the first five years of repayment.If you can’t make payments, ask for a deferral or forbearance. Neither method will hurt your credit score. When your account is brought up to date, it will improve your score.If there’s a short-term issue — such as a job loss or medical leave — you can temporarily suspend payments on federal student loans. The downside: Your loans will still accrue interest, making them more expensive overall.You could also choose one of several repayment plans like Income Based Repayment, Pay As You Earn, Revised Pay As You Earn and Income Contingent Plan for federal student loans that will reduce the monthly payments, but also stretch out the loan over a longer period. The plans tie your payment to your income and as long as you make payments every month, you don’t have to worry about default.It’s always a good idea to ask for a free credit report every year, making sure your payment history is being reported accurately.Whatever you do, don’t default! If you can’t afford the payment, it is better to contact your loan servicer and review your repayment option instead of simply not paying. By getting help as soon as possible, you can create a plan that works for you and your budget.Make Use Of Resources To Pay Off Student LoansIf you find yourself in a bad spot, consider contacting the U.S. Department of Education for help or to speak with a professional.Before heading to bankruptcy (which won’t dismiss a student loan, by the way), there are options of debt consolidation and debt settlement.In debt consolidation, several of your debts are rolled into one. The debt’s amount doesn’t change, but you will have just one bill per month and the monthly payment should be less than what you were paying individually. Over time, you might save significant money in interest.In debt settlement, the debt is reduced through negotiations with your lenders. A debt settlement company can negotiate directly with your creditors.TIPS: If you have bad credit and struggling to cope financially i would recommend you reach out to George Gibbs , He is a computer guru & programming expert who i have used his services and also referred a lot of family members to as well. He is effective and 100% Legit.

TL;DR: Not perfect, but overall much better.Edit: This answer contains information that is up to date as of April 7, 2020. The situation is changing rapidly, and more action is being taken every day. If you’re reading this even one week from now, there’s going to be a lot missing.Initial containment efforts in both Canada and the US were quite successful for a time, when most of the spread of the virus was still limited to those traveling from China. This was until about the end of February. Though many would argue that the US’ low numbers were due to early issues with people getting tested rather than effective containment procedures, so there is certain to be some level of gap between the data and the reality.Pulling data from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, this is what the two countries’ graphs look like:USA: Feb. 29 had 74 confirmed cases. April 7th had 429.1k cases, 14830 deaths, 24213 recovered.Canada: Feb. 29 had 24 confirmed cases. April 7th had 19290 cases, 436 deaths, 4877 recovered. (1/22nd the cases, 1/34th the deaths, roughly 2/3 the death rate)At the end of February, things were actually fairly comparable. Canada has about a 15% Asian population, with the USA having about 5%. The USA has about 9 times the population of Canada, so with 1/3 the Asian population as a percent, they should have about 3 times the cases if they all come from travel from Asia. 24 x 3 = 72, not far off from the 74 the US had at this point, assuming both countries caught all incoming cases.It’s around this point that the US started to see rapid spread of the virus within its borders. From 74 cases at the end of February, it just about doubled every 3 days; March 3rd: 149 cases, Mar. 6th: 402, Mar. 9th: 959, Mar. 12th: 2.2k cases and so on. In Canada, this kind of spread started about 3–4 days later, so Canada succeeded in the containment phase for an extra 3–4 days.Remember however, that the virus has an incubation period of 2–14 days, with symptoms showing up on average 5 days after the initial contact. This means that containment likely failed about 5 days earlier than the data shows. Most likely, the containment efforts failed because the cases were not only found in people who had traveled to China, but also people traveling from Iran, Italy, and in rare cases, other nearby countries.So we’ll assume containment failed around Feb. 25th in the US, and around Feb. 28th in Canada. Let’s look at the actions of the Canadian and US federal governments with that in mind:US Federal Actions:Jan. 31 (8 cases): Travel restrictions from China for foreign nationals, with 14 days quarantine recommended for those coming from Hubei. (9700 cases in China at this point.)Feb. 25 (57 cases): The CDC warns Americans to be prepared for an outbreak. (The expert opinion matches up with the hindsight we have months later.) Mike Pence put in charge of coronavirus response.Feb. 29 (74 cases): Travel restrictions from Iran for foreign nationals. (Iran case count 978 at this point.)Mar. 3 (149 cases): The Federal Reserve lowers their interest rate target from 1.75% to 1.25%Mar. 6 (402 cases): The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 is signed into law providing $8.3 billion in funding to tackle the coronavirus.Mar. 12 (2.2k cases): Recommendations against non-essential travel to most of Europe, Iran, China, Malaysia, and South Korea. All US states now able to perform COVID-19 testing. (Yes, it took that long.)Mar. 13 (2.7k cases): Trump declares a national emergency.Mar. 15 (4.6k cases): The Federal Reserve lowers interest rate targets to below 0.25% and starts a $700 billion quantitative easing program.Mar. 16 (6.4k cases): Trump announces guidelines for state and local governments to close schools, restrict gatherings of more than 10 people, and close restaurants, bars, and food courts. This is not legislation, so it is optional and results vary throughout the country.Mar. 18 (13.7k cases):The Defense Production Act was signed into law. Empowering the Health and Human Services Secretary and prevent the hoarding of medical resources.The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law. Providing funds for free coronavirus testing, forcing companies to provide 14-days paid sick leave for those eligible, and increasing funding for food stamps.The Department of Housing and Urban Development is suspending all foreclosures and evictions until the end of April.Mar. 19 (19.1k cases):Recommendations to not travel abroad at all, and a declaration for US citizens to return from abroad now unless they are comfortable remaining abroad indefinitely.The Federal Housing Finance Agency ordered federally-guaranteed loan providers to grant forbearance of up to 12 months on mortgage payments from people who lost income due to the pandemic. It encouraged the same for non-federal loans, and included a pass-through provision for landlords to grant forbearance to renters who lost income.Mar. 20 (25.5k cases):Restrictions on foreign nationals that have been to hot zones last 14 days, a 14 day quarantine imposed on US citizens arriving from those areas, and restricting air traffic from those countries to 13 airports to consolidate screening efforts.The Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing for 2020. Federal student loans waived for next 60 days, with possible extensions. The deadline for tax filings moved to July 15th.Mar. 22 (43.8k cases): FEMA directed to provide large medical stations for New York, California, and the State of Washington.Mar. 23 (53.7k cases): The Federal Reserve expands quantitative easing with no given limit. The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility was reactivated. The October 1st deadline for “Real ID” compliant identification for travel on commercial airlines has been postponed.Mar. 25 (83.6k cases): The Senate passes a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill.Mar. 27 (121.5k cases): The stimulus bill, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passes the House and is signed into law.Mar. 28 (140.9k cases): Trump had the CDC order a travel advisory against travel to the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut due to the high levels of cases in those states.Apr. 3 (308.9k cases): The CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering or mask when going to public places. Trump announces that the CARES act (the stimulus bill) will pay for the treatment of uninsured patients.Apr. 6 (396.2k cases): US Army postpones basic training for new recruits. Those already in training will complete a “social-distancing-enabled” training.Canada Federal Actions:Jan. 15 (1 case): The Public Health Agency of Canada activated the Health Portfolio Operations Center and triggered the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events. This was the day of Canada’s first confirmed case of COVID-19.Jan. 28 (20 cases): The federal-provincial-territorial Special Advisory Committee on the Novel Coronavirus (SAC) was established to advise Deputy Ministers of Health and co-ordinate information and responses.Mar. 5 (49 cases): Cabinet Committee on the federal response to the coronavirus disease is formed.Mar. 13 (198 cases): The Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) is established. Non-essential travel is not recommended.Mar. 16 (478 cases): Only Canadian and American citizens allowed to enter Canada (with some exceptions such as diplomats, air crews, and truck drivers). All incoming travelers asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Trudeau recommends that Canadians stay home as much as possible.Mar. 18 (800 cases): Only 4 airports remain open to international travel to consolidate screening resources. The deadline for tax filings deffered until June 1st.Mar. 21 (1.5k cases): Non-essential travel between Canada and the US restricted for 30 days.Mar. 23 (2.8k cases): Trudeau tells people to go home and stay home, warning that if trends continue, the government may take action to enforce it.Mar. 25 (4k cases): Canada enacts a $52 billion (Initial plans were $27 billion) aid package with $55 billion in tax deferrals, which were mentioned previously and legislated here. Canada invokes the Quarantine Act to enforce 14-day isolation of travelers arriving from abroad to Canada. (With exceptions for essential workers.Apr. 1 (11.3k cases): Canada launches the Canada COVID-19 free app on both Google’s Play Store and the Apple’s App Store to provide information on the government’s response and suggestions, and a self-check if you are sick to help determine if you should seek testing.Apr. 3 (13k cases): Canada launches the National COVID-19 Volunteer Recruitment Campaign to get volunteers to assist with tracking cases, data collection, and health system surge capacity.Apr. 6 (17.9k cases): The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is opened for applications.Now, obviously beyond what you see in those lists is a massive variety of responses from governments at the state, provincial, territorial, and local levels. So let’s just compare what we can:Pre-planning: Obviously Canada wins this one, as the US’s federal pandemic response team was fired by John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor, back in 2018 and was not reinstated. Canada did better.Testing: Given that it took the US until March 18th just to ensure that people could go get tested for the virus without having to worry about the costs of the test means that there is no question they did horribly poorly. Canada did better.Border Restrictions: The US put in place limited restrictions much earlier, on January 31st, gradually ramping up more extensive travel restrictions until March 20th, when the situation was already out of hand. Canada put in place much more extensive travel restrictions, but only on March 16th, also when the situation was already out of hand. Both are late.Restricting Large Gatherings: Most of the action on this is being handled by more regional governments, so it’s very hard to say whether or not one of these two countries has a better response pattern. The Canadian provincial governments seem willing to act fast, with the first school closures as early as March 13th, so I’m giving a slight edge to the Canadian response. Canada did better.Economic Effort: Given that the US put in $8 billion on March 6th, and the main stimulus packages are coming at the same time, I think it’s clear the US wins this one. $2.2 trillion for 9 times more people is still about 5 times more significant than Canada’s $52 billion stimulus bill. US did better.Rhetoric: Canada did better. Do I really need to explain this?Overall, I much prefer the Canadian response. As a disclaimer, remember that these are the actions at the federal level. All lock-down style actions such as the closing of schools and stay-at-home orders have thus far been at the provincial/state levels in both countries. This is sometimes compounded by local or municipal governments, so some areas may be enacting much better measures than others.One other thing that is clear is that the Canadian federal government is working much more closely with their lower level governments when compared to the US federal government’s interactions with theirs. However, it is also worth noting that the US has roughly 9 times the population, 50 states, and a few territories to manage, while Canada has only 10 provinces and 3 territories to deal with.

Here are President Obama's top 50 accomplishmentsThe comprehensive legacy of the 44th President.by Paul Glastris and Nancy LeTourneauMAGAZINEIn March 2012, we compiled a list of what were, at the time, President Barack Obama’s greatest achievements, to accompany our cover story, “The Incomplete Greatness of Barack Obama.” Today, at the end of his second term, Obama’s legacy is far more complete. Indeed, items from the original list—such as increasing national service opportunities, creating the Race to the Top education reform program, and expanding stem cell research—fell off in order to make room for new ones.But his legacy is also under threat. Donald Trump and the new Republican-dominated Congress have pledged to undo much of what the president has achieved, including repealing the Affordable Care Act and reversing important executive actions on immigration and climate change. So it is with this caveat that we offer the following updated list of Obama’s top accomplishments.1. Passed Health Care ReformAfter five presidents over the course of a century failed to create universal health insurance, signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010. More than twenty million Americans have gained coverage since the passage of the law, which provides subsidies for Americans to buy coverage, expands Medicaid eligibility, and prohibits insurers from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions. The uninsured rate has dropped from 16 percent in 2010 to 9 percent in 2015. The law also mandates free preventive care, allows young people to stay on their parents’ policies up to age twenty-six, and imposes a ban on annual and lifetime caps on benefits.2. Rescued the EconomySigned the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid the most severe downturn since the Great Depression. As of October 2016, the economy had added 15.5 million new jobs since early 2010 and set a record with seventy-three straight months of private-sector job growth. The unemployment rate, which hit a sustained peak of about 10 percent in 2009, has dropped to 4.6 percent as of November 2016.3. Passed Wall Street ReformSigned the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010 to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, allows the government to take them into receivership if they pose a threat to the economy, and limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit. Dodd-Frank also created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to crack down on abusive lending and financial services. By the end of fiscal year 2016, the CFPB had handled nearly one million consumer complaints and taken actions that resulted in $11.7 billion in relief for more than twenty-seven million consumers.4. Negotiated a Deal to Block A Nuclear IranLed six nations in reaching an agreement with Iran that requires the country to end its nuclear weapons program and submit to a rigorous International Atomic Energy Agency inspections regime in exchange for lifting global sanctions. The deal—which resulted from first toughening sanctions against Iran—also blocked Iran’s pathways to building a bomb, slowing down the development time for a weapon from three months to one year if Iran were to break its commitments.5. Secured U.S. Commitment to a Global Agreement on Climate ChangeProvided key leadership to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which produced the2015 Paris Agreement, a commitment by 197 nations to reduce global carbon emissions and limit the global rise in temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius.6. Eliminated Osama bin LadenIn 2011, ordered the Special Forces raid of the secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which the terrorist leader was killed and a trove of al-Qaeda documents was retained.7. Ended U.S. Combat Missions in Iraq and AfghanistanAfter an initial troop surge in Afghanistan, brought home 90 percent of the nearly 180,000 troops who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan when he took office, leaving only a small contingent of forces to assist the Iraqi and Afghani militaries against insurgents and the Taliban. The withdrawal from Iraq created the vacuum that ISIS has filled. But, recently, without redeploying ground troops, the U.S. has helped the Iraqi military in reversing ISIS’s gains.8. Turned Around the U.S. Auto IndustryIn 2009, injected $62 billion (on top of the $13.4 billion in loans from the George W. Bush administration) into ailing GM and Chrysler in return for equity stakes and agreements for massive restructuring. By December 2014, the car companies had repaid $70.4 billion of the funds, and the Center for Automotive Research estimated that 2.5 million jobs were saved.9. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’’Ended the 1990s-era restriction and formalized a new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.10. Supported Federal Recognition of Same-Sex MarriagesDecided in 2011 that the federal government would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which restricted federal marriage recognition to opposite-sex couples. In June 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key portions of the law as unconstitutional, allowing married same-sex couples to finally receive federal protections like Social Security and veteran benefits.11. Reversed Bush Torture PoliciesTwo days after taking office, signed an executive order banning the so-called “enhanced interrogation” techniques used by the CIA under President Bush and considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush administration legal opinions supporting the use of these techniques.12. Established Rules to Limit Carbon Emissions from Power PlantsFinalized a “Clean Power Plan” in 2015 through new EPA regulations, setting the first-ever carbon pollution standards for existing power plants. When fully implemented in 2030, the new rules will result in a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to 2005.13. Normalized Relations with CubaIn 2014, took steps to open diplomatic and commercial ties with Cuba, ending the failed Cold War policy of isolation. In March 2016, direct mail flights to Cuba resumed for the first time in fifty years. American tourists may also now freely visit the country.14. Put Medicare on Sounder Financial FootingSlowed the growth of health care spending through cost-saving measures enacted as part of the ACA, ensuring the solvency of Medicare’s principal trust fund through 2028.15. Protected DREAMers from DeportationTook executive action in June 2012 to protect undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children(so-called DREAMers) from deportation and allow them to apply for work permits.16. Established Net NeutralityDirected the Federal Communications Commission to issue a rule classifying internet service providers as a public utility and forcing them to treat all web traffic the same, regardless of source. After years of litigation, a federal court upheld the FCC’s rule, meaning providers can’t favor certain websites or block others.17. Protected Two Liberal Seats on the U.S. Supreme CourtNominated and obtained confirmation for Sonia Sotomayor (the first Hispanic person and third woman to serve on the Court) in 2009 and Elena Kagan (the fourth woman) in 2010. They replaced David Souter and John Paul Stevens, respectively.18. Boosted Fuel Efficiency StandardsReleased new fuel efficiency standards in 2011 that will increase fuel economy to the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025.19. Kicked Banks Out of Federal Student Loan Program, Expanded Pell Grant FundingAs part of the 2010 health care reform bill, signed a measure ending the decades-old practice of subsidizing banks to provide college loans. As a result, all students began getting their federal student loans directly from the federal government. More than half of the savings ($36 billion over ten years) is dedicated to expanding Pell Grants to lower-income students.20. Improved America’s Image AbroadWith new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric, reversed a sharp decline in world opinion toward the U.S. (and the corresponding loss of “soft power”) during the Bush years. Favorable opinion toward the United States rose during Obama’s first term in ten of fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, with an average increase of 26 percent, and have stayed high ever since.21. Left His Mark on the Federal JudiciaryAppointed more than 300 judges to federal district and appeals courts, in line with other two-term presidents, tipping the balance to majority Democrat appointed. A majority of judges on nine of the thirteen appeals courts are now Democratic appointees—compared to just one when Obama took office. Appointed a record number of female (138) and minority (120) judges to the federal bench, as well as eleven openly gay or lesbian judges.22. Diversified the Federal BureaucracyAppointed women and people of color to fill more than half of appointments to policy positions requiring Senate confirmation, including seventeen of thirty-one Cabinet positions.23. Passed Fair Sentencing ActSigned 2010 legislation that reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine possession from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1. Successfully lobbied the United States Sentencing Commission to apply those measures retroactively, which contributed to the largest decrease in the federal prison population in over thirty years.24. Revived the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights DivisionThrough then Attorney General Eric Holder, announced a major overhaul of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in 2009 to bring back federal civil rights enforcement, which had atrophied under President Bush. Among other priorities, the division stepped up its efforts against housing and employment discrimination, strengthened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, and put renewed focus on cracking down on discriminatory policing practices.25. Expanded Wilderness and Watershed ProtectionSigned the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, which designates more than two million acres as wilderness, creates thousands of miles of recreational and historic trails, and protects over 1,000 miles of rivers. By designating new national monuments and other measures, permanently protects over 548 million acres, more than any other president.26. Gave the FDA the Power to Regulate TobaccoSigned the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009. Nine years in the making and long resisted by the tobacco industry, the law mandates that tobacco manufacturers disclose all ingredients, obtain FDA approval for new products, and expand the size and prominence of cigarette warning labels. It also bans the sale of “light” cigarettes and tobacco sponsorship of entertainment events.27. Trimmed and Reoriented Missile DefenseCut the Reagan-era “Star Wars” missile defense budget, saving $1.4 billion in 2010, and canceled plans to station antiballistic missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic in favor of a sea-based defense plan focused on Iran and North Korea.28. Kick-started Clean Energy InvestmentAs part of the 2009 stimulus, invested $90 billion in research on smart grids, energy-efficient electric cars, renewable electricity generation, cleaner coal, and biofuels. Launched a clean energy incubator within the Argonne National Laboratory and encouraged $4 billion in commitments by foundations, institutional investors, and other private-sector stakeholders to boost their investments in clean energy technology.29. Reduced the Threat from Nuclear WeaponsInitiated the biannual Nuclear Security Summit to address the global threat posed by nuclear terrorism and advance a common approach to strengthening nuclear security. As a result, weapons-usable highly enriched uranium has been removed from sixteen countries. Signed and won ratification of a 2011 treaty with Russia to limit each country to 1,550 strategic warheads (down from 2,200) and 700 launchers (down from more than 1,400). The treaty also reestablished a monitory and transparency program that had lapsed in 2009.30. Passed Credit Card ReformsSigned the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which prohibits credit card companies from raising rates without advance notification, mandates a grace period on interest rate increases, and strictly limits overdraft and other fees.31. Cut Veteran Homelessness by HalfIn 2010, launched the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness, Opening Doors, which has led to a 47 percent decline in the number of homeless veterans since 2010 and aims to end youth homelessness by 2020.32. Enacted Government Surveillance ReformSigned the 2015 USA Freedom Act, which bans the governmental collection of bulk data, creates a special panel to provide technical and legal advice to the court administering the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and provides greater transparency for FISA court opinions. The ACLU noted that the legislation marked the first time since 1978 that Congress has “taken steps to restrict, rather than expand, its government surveillance authority.”33. Expanded Overtime PayUpdated a provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act to ensure overtime pay for employees making up to $47,476 a year, thereby expanding overtime protections to 4.2 million workers. The new rules were set to go into effect in December 2016, but were blocked in November by a federal judge in Texas.34. Cracked Down on Bad For-Profit CollegesThrough the Department of Education, issued “gainful employment” regulations in 2011, cutting off commercially focused schools from federal student aid funding if more than 25 percent of former students aren’t paying off their loans or if former students spend more than 12 percent of their average total earnings servicing student loans. In June 2016, regulators voted to shut down the nation’s largest accreditor of for-profit colleges, cutting off federal aid to hundreds of for-profits.35. Cut the DeficitReduced the federal deficit from 9.8 percent of GDP in 2009 to 3.2 percent in 2016, one benefit of a strengthening economy.36. Created the College ScorecardThrough the Department of Education, developed a comprehensive database in 2015 that allows prospective college students to compare potential schools based on costs, graduation rates, debt, and post-college earnings.37. Improved School NutritionSigned the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, championed by Michelle Obama, mandating a $4.5 billion spending boost and higher nutritional standards for school lunches. New rules double the amount of fruits and vegetables, and require only whole grains, in foods served to students.38. Expanded the Definition of Hate CrimesSigned the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, applying existing hate crime laws to crimes based on a victim’s sexual orientation, gender, or disability, in addition to race, religion, or national origin.39. Recognized the Dangers of Carbon DioxideThrough 2009 EPA regulations, declared carbon dioxide a pollutant, allowing the agency to regulateits production.40. Strengthened Women’s Right to Fair PaySigned the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, giving women who are paid less than men for the same work the right to sue their employers after they find out about the discrimination, even if it happened years ago. Under previous law, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the statute of limitations on such suits ran out 180 days after the alleged discrimination occurred, even if the victims never knew about it.41. Secured the Removal of Chemical Weapons from SyriaForced an agreement by Syrian leader Bashar Assad in 2013 to destroy the country’s stockpile of chemical weapons in accordance with the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention. In 2016, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed the destruction of thousands of tons of mustard gas and other toxic chemicals. (There is evidence, however, that Assad has recently continued to use chlorine gas against rebels and civilians in Aleppo.)42. Protected LGBTQ Americans From Employment DiscriminationSigned an executive order in 2014 prohibiting federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating against their workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.43. Reduced Discrimination Against Former Prisoners in Federal HiringSigned an executive order to “ban the box” in federal hiring and contracting. Government employers can’t ask about criminal records at the beginning of the application process, giving applicants with a criminal history a fairer shot.44. Won Major Victories Against Housing and Mortgage DiscriminationThrough the Justice Department, reached a record $335 million settlement against Countrywide Financial Corporation and a $175 million settlement against Wells Fargo for their practices of charging higher interest and fees to African American and Latino borrowers prior to the financial crisis, in addition to numerous other suits pursued on behalf of borrowers. In 2015, the administration successfully argued before the Supreme Court that victims of housing discrimination suing for bias only need to show “disparate impact,” not an intent to discriminate, to win their case.45. Expanded Broadband CoverageObtained approval from the FCC to shift $8 billion in subsidies away from landlines and toward broadbandinternet access for lower-income rural families. By 2016, 98 percent of Americans had access to fast 4G/LTE broadband.46. Expanded Health Coverage for ChildrenSigned the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act in 2009, expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover an additional four million children, paid for by a tax increase on tobacco products.47. Improved Food SafetySigned the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which increased the Food and Drug Administration’s budget by $1.4 billion and expanded its regulatory responsibilities to include increasing the number of food inspections, issuing direct food recalls, and reviewing the safety practices of countries exporting food products to the U.S.48. Let the Space Shuttle Die and Killed the Planned Moon MissionAllowed the expensive ($1 billion per launch), badly designed, and dangerous shuttle program to make its final launch on July 8, 2011. Cut off funding for the even more bloated and problem-plagued Bush-era Constellation program to build a moon base in favor of support for private-sector low-earth orbit ventures, research on new rocket technologies for long-distance manned flight missions, and unmanned space exploration, including the largest interplanetary rover ever launched, designed to investigate Mars’s potential to support life.49. Rebuilt and Fortified the Gulf Coast post-KatrinaCompleted a $14.5 billion system in 2011 to rebuild the levees in New Orleans and protect it from a 100-year storm.50. Avoided ScandalBecame the first president since Dwight Eisenhower to serve two terms with no serious personal or political scandal.[Ryan Cooper and Siyu Hu contributed to the 2012 version of this article.]Paul Glastris and Nancy LeTourneau