This is the first time the President has done this:

President Lincoln had an open-door policy to the public. Visitors were constantly packed in the stairwells, crowding the hallways, and literally camping outside his office door.

President Jackson had a 1,400-pound block of cheese in his foyer, and any citizen was welcome to a chunk of it. (We're pretty sure you've heard from us about that one before.)

Fast forward to 2014, and that level of access hasn't changed -- it just looks a little different now. Case in point:

Yesterday, President Obama signed a memorandum to make federal student loan debt more affordable and manageable to repay. And today, for the first time ever, he is taking to Tumblr to answer questions that you -- Americans around the country, at desks and on buses and at dining room tables -- asked him about all things education.

You can watch him answer those questions today at 4 p.m. Eastern at whitehouse.tumblr.com -- and you should.

Because while we might not be able to pack everyone into the State Dining Room to watch the President respond in real life, Americans around the country will be able to see him respond to questions -- asked by people around the country -- in real time.