9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Dr. Smith: Committee, thank you for the opportunity 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to testify today on the important topic of improving college affordability. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As you heard, my name is Zakiya Smith 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I work on finance and federal policy issues at Lumina Foundation, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the nation's largest foundation focused specifically 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 on increasing students' access to and success in postsecondary education. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As someone whose grandmother attended college as a nontraditional student, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the '50s in South Carolina, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 before there were integrated schools or even a Higher Education Act to consider, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know both the transformative power of higher education 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the pains that come from lack of equity within the system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for students of color and for low income students. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I know from working with students 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as a college counselor in a federally funded gear up program 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that when talking to students directly, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 their concerns about college are clear. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They think it's important but they just don't know how they're going to pay for it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And, we've talked about this issue at the national level for decades. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've tried to create measures of transparency, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which I've very vocally supported, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with hopes that better information could create market pressure 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and direct students to more affordable options. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Unfortunately, those efforts alone are not enough. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Today's students have responsibilities and commitments 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that extend far beyond the classroom. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Students of color in particular are more likely to be balancing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 work and the responsibilities of parenting with going to college, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as over 40% of Black and Native American students are also parents. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And contrary to popular imagination, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 students today actually have to work far more than past generations did 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in order to pay for college. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In 1971, students could cover tuition at public colleges 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by working about 10 hours a week throughout the year. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Students today would have to work about a 60 hour work week 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in order to cover the full cost of attendance at a public college in state. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, these affordability concerns aren't just in their heads. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The challenge of paying for college today is greater than it was in the past. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some might argue that expenses like rent and food aren't really costs of college 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but general costs of living that every adult must face. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But very few people would argue with the notion 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that the traditional student, going to college straight from high school, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 living on campus, deserves to be able 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to use their financial aid to pay for room and board. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Take that same student off campus 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and now they've got to find an apartment. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Room because rent 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and food, whether purchased on or off campus, is the board. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ensuring these non-tuition needs are covered in some way, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which could include childcare for student parents 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or transportation to and from campus, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are integral to student success. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If basic needs aren't met, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 students are less likely to do well in school, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 further impeding completion. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And as we know, as we think about how to address this concern, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we must recognize that affordability means different things to different people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What's a bargain to one person 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 may feel like an unattainable luxury to another. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For example, a $10,000 degree 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 could sound great to a family making $150,000 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 yet unimaginable for someone making only $20,000 a year, near the poverty line. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's why we can't focus only on the overarching price 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or even the average net price, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because it alone doesn't capture what's reasonable 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for families at different income levels. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've got to start to frame affordability in terms 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that are tailored to individual and family needs 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 yet are transparent enough for most people to understand. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In this vein, Lumina has developed a concept 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 called The Affordability Benchmark, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in consultation with experts from inside and outside of higher education. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The benchmark is based on some key principles, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that those with the capacity to save should be encouraged to do so 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with clear guidelines that can be broken down into monthly amounts, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that students without the capacity to save 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 shouldn't be expected to, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that no student should have to work more to pay for college 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 um-- so, have to which, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no student should have to work so much to pay for college 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that it impacts their ability to be successful in school. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Two interconnected recommendations could make this a reality. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 First, a federal-state partnership for affordability, quality, and completion. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A benchmark approach or any other type of affordability guarantee 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 would require a new type of partnership 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 between the federal and state governments, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in which colleges commit to lower prices 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and better outcomes for students over time in order to receive funding. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 States should be encouraged to invest in post secondary education 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in order to better leverage the federal spend. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And because affordability can't really be conceptually, uh, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 separated from value, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it would require being more vigilant about quality, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 both to root out fraudulent practices 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to ensure credentials are meaningful. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Second, we must strengthen and preserve the Pell grant. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Pell is the foundation of federal student aid, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the bedrock on which the federal commitment to students is based. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Unfortunately, the grant itself has not kept up 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with the rising price of education. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I urge the committee to consider ways to strengthen Pell 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so that it remains available for future generations 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to encourage implementation of early awareness and information campaigns, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to ensure would be students even know it exists. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd be happy to answer uh, any questions about these ideas 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or share in additional details. Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Committee: Thank you, Dr. Smith.