U.S. Under Secretary Ted Mitchell will participate in the Western Association of College and University Business Officers' (WACUBO) annual conference on Tuesday, May 5, in Tucson, Arizona. He will discuss the importance of higher education and federal efforts to improve access and make college more affordable. Mitchell also will address innovative ways that business officers in higher education can partner with the Education Department to keep tuition more affordable. A question-and-answer session will follow the discussion.
The Obama Administration has made historic investments in postsecondary education, including increasing the maximum Pell grant award by $1,000, creating the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit, and enacting effective student loan reforms that eliminated subsidies to banks and reinvested in America's students and families to make college more affordable. These initiatives are targeted at expanding access and ensuring families have the finances they need to succeed in their college pursuits and help reach the President's goal for America to once again lead the world in college graduation. The Obama administration has also added new consumer tools such as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet and the College Scorecard to help students and families make more educated decisions about college and easily compare vital information such as college costs, average student loan debt and graduation rates across different institutions.
WACUBO's annual conference began on May 3 and will run through May 6. The annual conference provides a forum for administrators in higher education to come together for a variety of professional development opportunities.