First Lady Michelle Obama (2024)

Reach Higher

First Lady Michelle Obama greets students at the City College of New York graduation on June 3, 2016.

In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Reach Higher initiative, an effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.

In today's economy, a high school diploma just isn't enough, which is why the First Lady is working to rally the country around ensuring that the United States once again has the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

Reach Higher aims to ensure all students understand what they need to complete their education, including: exposing students to college and career opportunities; understanding financial aid and college affordability; encouraging academic planning and summer learning opportunities; and supporting high school counselors who can help more kids get to and through a post-secondary institution.

Helping More Students Reach Higher for College and Beyond

College Opportunity Summits

In two separate summits in January and December of 2014, President Obama and the First Lady put out calls to action to college presidents, foundations, school district leaders, and college access professionals, culminating in over 700 commitments from these institutions to increase post-secondary success, especially for our most vulnerable students. Through the President and First Lady’s Call-to-Action on College Opportunity, hundreds of schools, organizations, and counselors have reported that they have already helped students access more than $5 billion in financial aid, enrolling 1 million more students in college, and setting 10 million more students on track to complete on time within the decade.

National College Signing Day

The First Lady, understanding the importance of celebrating education, decided to elevate College Signing Day to the national stage as a way to recognize high school seniors making the commitment to go to college. When she first participated, there were a few dozen such events around the country, but thanks to the First Lady and her Reach Higher initiative, in just two years, there were over 1,200 College Signing Day celebrations happening in all fifty states, with celebrities, athletes, actors, musicians, and influencers of all kinds taking to social media to post pictures in their college gear to celebrate students and promote a college-going culture.

• Press Release: First Lady Michelle Obama to Host 2016 College Signing Day Event in New York
• Fact Sheet: Celebrating Progress in Expanding College Opportunity for Every Student on College Signing Day

Beating the Odds Summit

As a first-generation college graduate herself, the First Lady has a deep and personal understanding of the struggles that first-generation students, or students from non-typical backgrounds, experience when they arrive to college. Today more than ever, more first-generation students are completing high school and going on to some sort of college education. However, too many of them are still struggling when they get on campus to acclimate and find the tools to be successful. That is why the First Lady brought hundreds of rising college freshmen from around the country to the White House for the past three summers, each with extraordinary stories of overcoming adversity in order to complete high school and get to college. These summits celebrated the students and their journeys, while also introducing them to coaching, support, and tools be successful after arriving on campus.

• 2015 Video
• 2016 Video

Lifting Up and Supporting School Counselors

The First Lady made supporting school counselors one of the key pillars of Reach Higher because she knows the important role they play in student success. Reach Higher has tried to elevate and support the counseling profession by: bringing the Counselor of the Year ceremony to the White House for a yearly tradition; inviting foundations and thought leaders to improve research, preparation, and technology for counselors; and convening teams of educational leaders from nearly 40 states at national Counseling Summits to implement best practices around college and career-readiness for counselors and school districts.

• Video: 2015 Counselor of the Year
• Video: 2016 Counselor of the Year
• Fact Sheet: College Opportunity Summit

Launching “Better Make Room,” a Generation Z Social Media Campaign to reach students

In October of 2015, the First Lady launched her “Better Make Room” campaign. This campaign is working to reach students where they are on social media and mobile devices, but give them a place to celebrate education and get connected to important resources that will help them get to and through college. Since launching, Mrs. Obama has rapped with comedian Jay Pharaoh about going to college, talked with LeBron James about why he’s so invested in education, hung out with Viners to talk about school, and asked students to text “College” to 44044 to get updates on their phones about filling out federal financial aid and getting other student success tips.

• Fact Sheet: The First Lady announces “Better Make Room” campaign
• Video: The First Lady announces the “Better Make Room” Initiative

Better Tools to Make College Choices

The First Lady has helped students and families make better decisions about making the right college decision by pointing them to the administration launch of the College Scorecard to find a good-value school where they can pursue their educational and career goals while others in the public—policymakers, schools, parents, teachers, researchers—can use the data to help support colleges in improving their performance and serving students better. In addition, the First Lady secured commitments from Google to make over 100 college and career tours available through Google Expeditions, so that students and teachers can virtually visit campuses and examine careers.

Improved Financial Aid Timing and Resources

The First Lady has helped ensure that more students understand the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), giving students access to over $180 billion available annually in Federal financial aid and millions more in state, institutional, and private scholarships. And as of October 1, 2016, the Administration made the FAFSA application available three months early. The First Lady held a FAFSA video challenge, spoke to daytime TV personalities, and helped launch a text messaging tool, UpNext, in order to help more students access these critical federal.