NACUBO President Testifies to Congress on Value of Higher Education

(Washington, DC) – Today, NACUBO President and CEO Susan Whealler Johnston testified on the value of higher education and how to expand access to more students, in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee.

During the hearing, "Expanding Access to Higher Education and the Promise it Holds," Johnston discussed the impact of the pandemic on higher education institutions and on students, the lifelong benefits of earning a college degree, and steps Congress can take to expand access to more students. She highlighted how colleges and universities are working to keep costs affordable and provide student financial aid, as evidenced by findings from the 2020 NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments and the 2020 NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study. 

She also urged Congress to incentivize charitable giving, repeal the net investment income tax on some institutions, improve and simplify federal tax credits including the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which many Pell Grant recipients currently cannot fully claim, and increase the value of the Pell Grant.

“The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the value of a postsecondary education and of higher education’s value to our society,” Johnston said. “College and universities and lawmakers, as well as charitable organizations, families, and employers, must continue making the investments necessary to achieve a more educated and inclusive populace.”

She was joined on the panel by Marshall Anthony Jr., senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, Steven M. Rose, president of Passaic County Community College, Susan M. Dynarski, professor of public policy, education, and economics at the University of Michigan, and Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University.

Read her full written testimony to the committee here.