# Did Obama really ask Moms to return to school?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165 "2010-01-08T15:28:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165/1 "2010-01-08T15:28:18Z")

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Surely you’ve seen those banner ads. A dancing silhouette or some other eye-catching (i.e. obnoxious) animation to get your attention, next to the words **"Obama Asks Moms to Return to School!"**

They’re selling loans, I think, but I’m not sure as I avoid clicking them. But that’s not my question… While I have little doubt the ads are full of shit, I’m curious as to just _how_ full. I would imagine Obama probably thinks it’s a good idea in general for people to have college degrees, sure. But has he ever said so publicly? Or singled out stay-at-home mothers in a speech about higher education? Or something, anything that can be even loosely interpreted as “asking Moms to return to school”?

Is there even a grain of truth to this claim?

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**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165/2 "2010-01-08T22:17:11Z")

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In short, no. The ads tout something called “The Mom’s Return to School Government Grant Scholarship.” This is not a federal program, but a commercial loan product.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included some new funding for Pell Grants, and the President has on occasion encouraged adults (especially those unemployed) to consider going back to college. But I can’t find any evidence that the president has any program to encourage Moms in particular.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165/3 "2010-01-08T22:36:37Z")

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Thanks for asking this; I’ve been wondering about it myself.

I’m also wondering if it’s true that, as the subject line of a spam I got the other day says, **Barak Obama is a w oman!**

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**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-really-ask-moms-to-return-to-school/524165/4 "2010-01-09T00:05:27Z")

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> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> I’m also wondering if it’s true that, as the subject line of a spam I got the other day says, **Barak Obama is a w oman!**

This is incorrect, Obama is not from West Oman. He is from Kenya.

🙂