President Barack Obama has pledged to overhaul the health care system in order to cut down on the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance -- an initiative that his team once estimated would cost $65 billion but experts predict could run much higher. Meanwhile, Medicare -- the government-run health-care program for seniors -- is increasingly eating up a large chunk of the federal budget. And the trustees who compile an annual report examining the financial solvency of Medicare and Social Security have repeatedly said Medicare can't survive in its current state.

As Obama takes office, the economic crisis will undoubtedly land at the top of the Democrat’s agenda. But as those priorities push education out of the public eye, higher education is becoming increasingly unaffordable, federal financial aid is weakening in proportion to the cost of college and still-frozen credit markets are limiting loan options for students.

Steve Preston
BIO: Steve Preston became the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development on June 5. His resume includes stints as administrator of the Small Business Administration, executive vice president of The ServiceMaster Company, a senior vice president and treasurer of First Data Corporation and investment banker at Lehman Brothers.

Michael Leavitt
BIO: Michael Leavitt became the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January 2005. The three-time governor of Utah also served as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and chairman of the National Governors Association, Western Governors Association and Republican Governors Association. The father of five was the president and CEO of a regional insurance firm before entering public services.

Margaret SpellingsBIO: Margaret Spellings, 50, was sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education in January 2005. The Michigan native has worked on education policy from several perspectives: local school boards, college campuses, on a statewide level and in the executive cabinet, though she was never a teacher nor a school administrator. Before serving as the head of the education department, Spellings was the assistant to the president for domestic policy.

Ed Schafer
BIO: Ed Schafer became the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture on Jan. 28. During his two terms as North Dakota governor, he worked on normalizing trading relations with China, helping North Dakota export its farm goods to the country. Schafer also worked to improve communications for farmers, ranchers and rural businesses in North Dakota.