For more information, contact:
David Hawkins, director of public policy
703/855-8261 or 703/299/6809
Washington, DC (March 7, 2007) – Enacting the Student Aid Reward (STAR) Act would constitute an important step toward improving college access, according to members of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
The association has endorsed the STAR Act, and its members conveyed that support to more than 300 Congressional offices as part of NACAC’s legislative conference in Washington, DC March 6-7.
“The STAR Act presents a common-sense addition to the federal student aid system, and sets us on the right path toward improving college access” stated Mary Lee Hoganson, NACAC president. “The goal, from a federal perspective, should be to find ways to maximize the amount of government aid that actually reaches students. In the STAR Act, we have found a proposal that is both flexible and potentially powerful, and we look forward to working for its passage in the 110th Congress.”
NACAC’s three overarching federal policy principles include increased support for (1) access to college preparatory coursework, (2) access to counseling and college information, and (3) need-based financial aid for postsecondary education. NACAC’s endorsement of the STAR Act, which extends back to the 109th Congress, is directly related to providing more need-based financial aid for students.
Also during its legislative conference, NACAC presented a “Friend of College Access” award to Representative Tom Petri (R-WI), one of the STAR Act’s original sponsors. Other STAR Act sponsors include House Education and Labor Committee chairman George Miller (D-CA), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR).
About NACAC:
NACAC is an Alexandria, VA-based education association of more than 9,800 secondary school counselors, independent counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, and organizations that work with students as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The association is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.
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