WASHINGTON (December 4, 2019) – Today, Wil Del Pilar, vice president of higher education at The Education Trust, issued the following statement:

“The Education Trust and partners have urged Congress to extend mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) through the passage of the FUTURE Act. We support the newly introduced amendment from Sens. Alexander (R-TN) and Murray (D-WA) to release those funds and make needed reforms to the FAFSA, which millions of students fill out each year to access federal financial aid. The elimination of FAFSA verification – a burden that falls almost wholly on Pell Grant recipients and may prevent them from accessing essential financial aid and ultimately attending college – will help close racial and socio-economic gaps in our system. Additionally, the simplification of the FAFSA process and the elimination of the annual renewal requirement for borrowers to remain in income-based repayment plans should make it easier for millions of students and borrowers to navigate our complex federal financial aid system.

“The Education Trust calls on Congress to advance this package. We also urge policymakers to continue working toward a bipartisan, comprehensive, student-centered overhaul of the Higher Education Act (HEA).”

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