In April 2012, Butterfield accompanied President Obama to speak at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to speak about extending the current interest rates on federal loan program for many undergraduate students. Butterfield expressed concern with the pending expiration, saying: “Allowing the current interest rates to expire would burden students with additional debt, prolong their ability to kick start their careers, and send the message that it is more important to cut taxes for the wealthy than educational expenses for our young people.”