U.S. Education Secretary To Hold Town Hall In Pembroke Pines

PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami/AP) – U.S. Education Commissioner Arne Duncan will meet with South Florida high school students, parents and local officials on Thursday to talk about the Obama administrations efforts to make college more affordable.

At the town hall meeting at the Pembroke Pines Charter High School, Duncan will also discuss the importance of boosting college completion rates to secure America's economic future.

Duncan also plans to call upon colleges and universities to do their part in containing costs.  Florida universities have raised tuition in recent years to help mitigate sharp cuts in state funding, but it's still one of the lowest rates in the nation.

On Wednesday, Duncan held a similar town hall meeting with students and civic leaders at Tallahassee Community College where he focused on efforts to increase job creation by strengthening postsecondary career and technical education.

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