Elevating Student Voices: Advancing Equity Through College Affordability
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On May 21, 2019, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) hosted National Policy Summit. At the event, IHEP shared insights from our upcoming affordability report and provided an opportunity for policymakers and experts in the field to hear directly from students about the affordability challenges they face and ways to support today’s students.
During the summit, IHEP convened a series of panels and breakout sessions to discuss existing financial barriers to college access and potential affordability solutions. The panels covered topics including state and federal financial aid programs, transfer as an affordability strategy, and non-tuition costs. Discussions featured perspectives from federal, state, and institutional policy experts, as well as perspectives from students who were interviewed for IHEP’s Elevating Student Voices report.
Welcoming Remarks
Michelle Asha Cooper – President, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Mamie Voight – Vice President of Policy Research, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Student Stories of College Affordability
Danette Howard (moderator) – Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Lumina Foundation
Yuderka Cruceta – Student, Lehman College of The City University of New York
Nada Elhawary – Student, George Mason University
DeJoiry McKenzie-Simmons – Student, Howard University
Breakout Sessions
The Role of States in Improving Affordability & Advancing Equity
Amanda Janice Roberson (moderator) – Assistant Director of Research and Policy, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Yuderka Cruceta – Student, Lehman College of The City University of New York
Melani D’Evelyn – Director, Detroit Drives Degrees at Detroit Regional Chamber
Michele Siqueiros – President, The Campaign for College Opportunity
Navigating Transfer Pathways as an Affordability Strategy
Leanne Davis (moderator) – Assistant Director of Applied Research, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Cathryn Camp – Interim Vice President of Student Affairs, Prince George’s Community College
Coleen Gabhart – Student, Ivy Tech Community College – Lafayette
Juana Hernandez – Senior Manager, Postsecondary Initiatives, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce/UNITE-LA
Justin Underwood – Student, Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus
More than Tuition and Fees: The Burden of Non-Tuition Costs
Eleanor Eckerson Peters (moderator) – Senior Research Analyst, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Nada Elhawary – Student, George Mason University
DeJoiry Mckenzie-Simmons – Student, Howard University
Dawn Medley – Associate Vice President for Enrollment, Wayne State University
Wayne Taliaferro – Strategy Officer for Finance and Federal Policy, Lumina Foundation
Lunch & Keynote Address
Michael Sorrell – President, Paul Quinn College
Policy Pathways to College Affordability
Scott Jaschik (moderator) – Editor, Inside Higher Ed
Stanley Andrisse – Executive Director and Founder, From Prison Cells to PhD
José Luis Cruz – President, Lehman College of The City University of New York
Wil Del Pilar – Vice President of Higher Education Policy and Practice, The Education Trust
Zakiya Smith Ellis – Secretary of Higher Education, State of New Jersey
Closing Remarks
Robert Anderson – President, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO)