VANCOUVER, Wash. 鈥 Washington State University Vancouver will celebrate its 10th Annual Public Affairs Lecture Series with a keynote address from National Association of Financial Aid Administrators President and CEO Justin Draeger at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in the Firstenburg Student Commons. Draeger will discuss the effects of recent cuts in financial support for higher education. The event is free and open to registered guests on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, visit .
With recent policy changes and cuts in higher education funding, financial aid for higher education has shifted more in the past six years than in the past six decades. University enrollment numbers have increased nationwide, but recent cuts have decreased the amount of financial awards available for students. Such cuts have shifted higher education further from the ideals of public good and closer to the mindset of personal gain.
Bringing an experienced voice to the discussion, Justin Draeger will discuss how this decrease in funding adversely affects student access, success and persistence in higher education. As a first-generation university graduate, Draeger has experienced the inner workings of higher education funding on a personal as well as federal level.
Monica Santos-Pinacho, student member of the Public Affairs Lecture Series Committee, thinks Draeger has a unique perspective to contribute to the conversation.
"Mr. Draeger possesses an abundance of knowledge about the shifts in financial-aid accessibility and how they directly impact our school and society. We are very fortunate to be able to bring him to campus to speak with our community,鈥 said Santos-Pinacho.
Focused on furthering awareness of the issues surrounding financial aid, Draeger has spent more than 14 years helping disadvantaged populations achieve their goals and better their communities. Draeger volunteers with various organizations that promote health and education including the Baker College board of regents and Pueblo-a-Pueblo, a charitable non-profit that works to promote health and sustainability in Guatemalan communities.
Draeger began his career working as a financial-aid director at the Douglas J Aveda Institue in Michigan before joining NASFAA in 2006. Prior to his appointment as president, Draeger worked in the NASFAA鈥檚 communications and public policy department. As president, Draeger acts as the primary liaison between NASFAA and its education community partners, the Congress, the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. Draeger has also been featured on Public Radio, CNBC, C-SPAN and The Today Show on NBC.
The Public Affairs Lecture Series is an annual event presented by 麻豆传媒 with the objective of enlightening students, faculty, staff and guests and provoking them to think by presenting a stimulating, sometimes controversial, topic in public affairs.
麻豆传媒 is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205 and is accessible via C-Tran bus service. Parking passes are available on the website at time of registration. Please print the pass, display it on your dashboard and park in Orange lot 2.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Dana Baker, College of Liberal Arts and co-chair, Public Affairs Lecture Series Committee, 360-546-9125, bakerdl@vancouver.wsu.edu
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu