First Lady Starts Campaign to Boost College Attendance

First lady Michelle Obama is launching an effort to persuade more low-income students to commit to higher education, as she broadens her policy profile to support the president’s goal of having the U.S. lead the world by 2020 in the share of people who graduate from college.

Mrs. Obama started the initiative Tuesday with remarks at a Washington, D.C., high school, where she told a group of sophomores they could follow her path from a working-class family to graduating from a top university. “No matter what dreams you have, you have got to do whatever it takes to continue your education after high school,” she said. “And once you’ve completed your education, you will have the foundation you need to build a successful life.”

During her time in the White House, Mrs. Obama has met regularly with students, and she has spoken frequently about her and her husband’s determination to open doors of opportunity through education. But she usually focuses more on general aspirations than specific policies. Her most high-profile initiative has been the “Let’s Move!” campaign, which promotes childhood exercise and healthy eating.

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