Dr. Lowery-Hart will join a panel of policymakers on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. CST to discuss the importance of federal financial aid and the correlation it has to helping in student success.
“Today’s community college student is dramatically different from the ‘traditional’ student of the past,” Lowery-Hart said. “Amarillo College’s mission is to help our students find their success by removing barriers they may encounter. The current federal aid process is prohibitive and confusing. I hope that this panel discussion will help inform a better process to help our students and others across the nation.”
Lowery-Hart will serve as the voice of community colleges and universities across the country at this panel. Panelists include:
- Dr. Matthew Chingos, Director Educaiton Policy Program, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.
- Ms. Joanna Darcus, Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Racial Justice Fellow, National Consumer Law Center, Boston, MA
- Dr. Susan Dynarski, Professor of Public Policy, Education and Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Ms. Laura Keane, Chief Policy Officer, UAspire, Philadelphia, PA
“Federal Financial Aid is the single greatest contributor to moving students out of dependence and helping them become robust economic contributors,” Lowery-Hart said. “With an economy on the verge of changing through automation, robotics, and biogenetics, our communities and this country will suffer severe economic consequences if we are not able to guide more students through completion of a degree."
“If we cannot simplify these financial aid systems, it is more likely that more will be sitting on the sidelines needing more governmental assistance when they desperately want to earn a living wage.”
The policy discussion can be streamed at:
https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/reauthorizing-the-higher-education-act-financial-aid-simplification-and-transparency