Final answer:
President Obama implemented student loan reforms including increased Pell Grants, capped interest rates, and created the College Scorecard, to make college education more accessible and address the surging costs compared to stagnant family incomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Barack Obama implemented several measures to make college education more accessible, with the correct answer being c. Implemented student loan reforms.
Understanding the escalating costs of education, the Obama administration took significant steps to improve college affordability. The cost of attending a four-year public college had surged by 257% between 1982 and 2012, while family incomes lagged substantially behind. In response, Obama's policies focused on increasing Pell Grant awards, capping student loan interest rates, offering education tax credits, and introducing the College Scorecard to encourage accountability among higher education institutions. These reforms emphasized not just making education financially accessible but also ensuring that institutions provided value to their students by focusing on completion rates.
Even though these initiatives have been put in place, the burden of student loan debt continues to climb and significantly influences graduates' financial decisions and lifestyle choices. Nonetheless, the Obama administration's approach marked a clear shift towards investing in human capital as a means to foster economic growth and maintain the nation's competitive edge internationally.