On 19 September, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the formation of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The new commission is charged with developing a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education that will meet the needs of America's diverse population and also address the economic and workforce needs of the country's future.

"We should send students a clear message: If you work hard, you can go to college-regardless of how much money your parents make," Spellings concluded. "The good news is that we still have the finest system of higher education in the world. But we're at a crossroads. The world is catching up."

The commission will release a final report August 2006