Meeting with legislators in Washington D.C. last week were (from left) CSULB Associate Vice President for Legislative and External Relations Terri Carbaugh, CSULB Associated Students Vice President Nayiri Baghdassarian, California representative Alan Lowenthal and CSULB President Jane Close Conoley.
“A top priority of our visit to Washington D.C. was to ensure policymakers understand the importance of Pell Grants for student access and achievement,” Conoley said. “To increase opportunities for students to attain the excellent education we offer requires partnerships with our state and federal representatives. I’m happy to report that our elected officials understand the importance of increasing university access and the value of a CSULB degree.”
The Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students. Maintaining funding of the program and expanding the grants to cover all academic terms is essential to increasing student access and success, according to CSULB, which indicates that the grants are critical to providing opportunity at CSULB. In 2014, more than half of all undergraduates (16,257) received financial aid through Pell.
Throughout the day in the nation’s capital, Conoley and a contingent from CSULB including student leaders, met with federal legislators Janice Hahn (D-District 44), Alan Lowenthal (D-District 47) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-District 48).
Late last year, President Obama set “ambitious” goals for U.S. baccalaureate completion, according to CSULB, which indicated that its ability to provide access to a high-quality education, strengthen pathways to college completion and address the evolving needs of employers in the global economy will be critical to reaching those goals.
Over the coming year, Conoley and university leaders will join colleagues from other CSU campuses to continue advocating with federal legislators for funding to improve college access through aid to students, better prepare students for college, foster degree completion for California’s diverse population, educate tomorrow’s workforce, solve societal problems through applied research, enhance campus infrastructure, health and safety and promote state and private support for public universities, according to CSULB.
Among the success stories Conoley shared are the Long Beach College Promise— the university’s acclaimed partnership with LBUSD and Long Beach City College— which has been recognized as a successful model for improving student success and completion. The initiative has increased the number and diversity of students who are coming to CSULB and earning a bachelor’s degree.
Source: CSULB
