Yesterday, after numerous press events on Capital Hill, I had the opportunity to meet with US Education Secretary Arne Duncan regarding student aid reform and his support of the Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), H.R. 3221 which will be voted on by the US House of Representatives Thursday.

SAFRA is the largest student aid reform we have seen since the first GI Bill and the Higher Education Act.

Needless to say, this is going to be a monumental piece of legislation that will reform a broken lending system, eliminating subsidies to banks and lenders and putting those savings towards student aid, add an additional $40 billion to the Pell Grant, $3 billion to bolster college access and completion programs for students, strengthen the Perkins Loans Program, keep interest rates low for federal student loans and simplify the FAFSA, making it easier for millions of students to apply for financial aid every year.

One component that USSA is specifically excited for is the $2.55 billion dollar investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) which includes Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges. This is an important step to ensure that all students, especially those from underrepresented communities, can have access to a quality and affordable education. Our motto here at USSA is “education is a right” and we believe MSIs provide additional opportunities to make this a reality for all.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Although we did not talk about this during our meeting, Secretary Duncan is also an avid supporter of the Federal DREAM Act, which will allow undocumented students a chance to qualify for financial aid and a pathway to citizenship if they attend at least 2 years of college or serve in the military.

It’s exciting to know that we have an Education Secretary who shares USSA’s vision and can speak to the hearts of many students and families across the country about the necessity of an education, especially as it relates to putting our country’s economy back on track. My meeting with him was refreshing and I look forward to working more closely with Secretary Duncan, the Department of Education and members of Congress to see such reform come to fruition.

For more information on SAFRA, the DREAM Act and our efforts to see these key pieces legislation pass, please visit our website:www.usstudents.org.

 For the students,

Gregory Cendana

President

United States Student Association