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advocacy Rethinking Student Aid Holds First in Cross-Country Public Policy Discussions
On March 9, the Rethinking Student Aid study group launched the first in a series of cross-country public policy discussions at the California State University, East Bay, campus. The roundtable “Rethinking Student Aid: Why Simple Doesn’t Have to Be Hard … And Why Our Future Depends On It” sparked a provocative discussion among about 100 students, financial aid officers, college and career counselors, higher education leaders, policymakers, and advocates for educational opportunity. The series of public policy discussions being held across the nation in 2009 are occurring at a critical time. President Barack Obama set a new goal for the U.S. to regain its world leadership in the proportion of adults with a college degree. His 2010 budget goes beyond just increasing funding levels for students, it also takes a major step toward overhauling a student financial aid system whose piecemeal, byzantine construction no longer serves today’s and tomorrow’s students. The
president’s
proposals support
the goals and
principles that
underlie the Rethinking
Student Aid policy
recommendations,
which, if legislated,
would result in
Pell Grants being
more predictable
for low-income
students, loan
subsidies being
better targeted
and incentives
for institutions
to help students
succeed, not just
enroll, getting
a significant
boost. These proposals
generated a high-energy
discussion at the
event co-hosted
by California
State University
at its East Bay
campus and the
College Board,
with financial
support from the
Lumina Foundation
for Education.
The urgency of
the current economic
crisis and the
clear commitment
within Congress
and the administration
to strengthen
higher education
provide the perfect
opportunity for
the higher education
community to improve
the student Allison Jones, assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs at California State University and a College Board Trustee, moderated the discussion, and Michael McPherson, president of the Spencer Foundation and co-chair of the Rethinking Student Aid study group, introduced the roundtable, providing background about the project and highlighting aspects of the recommendations. Each roundtable participant spoke from his or her perspective about why the federal student financial aid system needs to change. F. King Alexander, president of California State University, Long Beach, stressed the need for additional federal support for institutions serving significant numbers of students from low-income backgrounds. He supported the idea of providing fiscal incentives to institutions to enroll low-income students. Robert J. Birgeneau, chancellor of University of California, Berkeley, shared with the group that he was the first in his family to finish high school and that financial aid allowed him to pursue his academic career. He spoke about his concern for students from middle-income families who don’t qualify for either Pell Grants or state grants, but who have a difficult time paying for a University of California education. Susan
Murphy, director
of enrollment and
financial services
at the University
of San Francisco,
said that the complexity
of today’s
student financial
aid system means
that financial
aid professionals
have lost touch
with the students
they serve. With
a simpler system,
professionals could
spend more time
helping students
and parents with
special circumstances,
developing effective
communication tools
and supporting
retention efforts
and Shannon Sakamoto, college and career counselor at Lincoln High School in San Jose, Calif., called for earlier information about financial aid. The common concern she hears from her high school and college students is, “How am I supposed to pay for college?” With early education, students and their families would be more focused on academic preparation and less stressed about how they would pay, she argued. Starla Gay, a student at the California State University, East Bay, and a single parent who has worked to support her children while enrolling part-time, made the case that her financial problems and the complexity of the system have resulted in less time for her to focus on her academic responsibilities. Elena Gil, an attorney and a first-generation college graduate, spoke about the complexity of the FAFSA and the embarrassment of not understanding the financial terminology. She added that the system seems arbitrary and that there is no certainty about eligibility among her friends and family members. Other panelists included Timothy P. Bonnel, student financial aid programs coordinator for the California Community Colleges System Office, and Kim Mazzuca, president of the Marin Education Fund. Congressman
George Miller’s
district director,
Barb Johnson, spoke
briefly from the audience
to say how helpful
it was to hear “on-the-ground” comments
about the student
financial aid system.
Jacqueline Bradley,
assistant dean of
financial aid and
EOPS at Mendocino
College and president-elect
of the The discussion concluded with Allison Jones telling the panel that “in my 40 years in financial aid and higher education, this is the first time in my memory that we have such a substantive paper that has put the issues on the table in such a creative and masterful way to generate public conversation.” Additional
public discussions
are in the planning
stages and will take
place in the coming
months. Information
will be posted online,
along with the Rethinking
Student Aid study
group’s
report and statements
of support at: To
read an editorial
written by CSU President
Alexander following
the policy roundtable,
go to:
   
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