Elevating Student Voices: Advancing Equity Through College Affordability

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)