Colleges and universities should ensure financial aid programs are simple, easily accessible and provide information early enough, says Don Heller, dean of MSU’s College of Education, who testified July 19 before Congress on college affordability.
If President Obama wants to increase the number of college graduates in the United States, colleges and the government should focus their efforts on low- and moderate-income families, he said, and grants will be key. For starters, the Pell Grant program should be better funded.
Heller has been conducting research on financial aid and tuition policies – and their impact on college access – for 15 years. As an expert on college affordability, he can discuss higher education’s efforts to keep tuition prices in check.
Heller can be reached at (517) 355-1734 or dheller@msu.edu.
###