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