Days after Rick Santorum called the president a "snob" for wanting all Americans to go to college, President Obama today reiterated his call for Americans to receive higher education.

"No issue will have a bigger impact on the future performance of our economy than education," the president said in remarks before the National Governors Association at the White House.

The president insisted that higher education is the key to preparing Americans for the jobs of the 21st century. "We can't allow higher education to be a luxury in this country. It's an economic imperative that every family in America has to be able to afford," he said.

While Obama did not mention Santorum by name, he clarified his push for Americans to receive higher education. "I have to make a point here. When I speak about higher education, we're not just talking about a four-year degree," he said. "We're talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job."

"We all want Americans getting those jobs of the future, so we're going to have to make sure that they're getting the education that they need," he said.

At the same time, Obama argued that education should not be a partisan issue. "All of us should be about giving every American who wants a chance to succeed that chance," he said.

The president urged the nation's governors not to cut education funding to balance their budgets. "The fact is that too many states are making cuts to education that I believe are simply too big," he said. "Budgets are about choices. So today, I'm calling on all of you:  Invest more in education."