During the June 21 forum, Associate Director of Federal Relations Christina West detailed legislation under consideration that would impact student aid.

_{by Joan Brasher}

A forum held June 21 at Vanderbilt Law School featured several speakers on the topic of federal student aid. Jeff Vincent, assistant vice chancellor for federal relations and executive director of Vanderbilt’s Washington, D.C., office, moderated the discussion. Christina West, associate director of federal relations, explained the role of the Washington office and detailed several pieces of legislation currently under consideration that could impact federal student aid.

In recent months it has been widely reported in the media that several prominent universities behaved improperly in their associations with lenders. Vanderbilt is not among them. West explained that the scandal would likely hasten the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which would impact all universities in some way. The reauthorization would, among other things, set a code of conduct for interactions between universities and lenders, such as forbidding universities from sharing in lenders’ profits, accepting inducements from lenders, utilizing a preferred lender list, or setting up on-campus call centers.

David Mohning, director of student financial aid, explained that Vanderbilt does not accept inducements or allow vendors to “buy their way” into the university’s infrastructure. His concern for the future is that additional legislation will spawn more bureaucracy and red tape, which could place even more barriers between needy students and the universities of their choice.

Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Doug Christiansen closed the session by detailing what Vanderbilt is doing right in the arena of student aid, including a “need blind” admissions process and a commitment to meeting 100 percent of students’ financial needs. Vanderbilt provides $21 for every $1 of federal aid provided to its students, he said. Christiansen said his charge is to educate rising middle and high school students about Vanderbilt’s commitment to providing a quality education to any deserving student, regardless of financial status.

To listen to audio of the forum, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/news.

_{Posted 06/22/07}