Purdue President Mitch Daniels says Congress can do much to improve the areas of college accessibility and affordability, starting with loosening some federal regulations.
Daniels brought that message to Capitol Hill Tuesday, testifying before the House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Training.
He says one thing the federal government can do to make it easier for students to attend college is to modernize the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Daniels says he’s started carrying a copy of it around because people don’t believe him when he says how complicated it is.
“My suggestion about the FAFSA is not to start by asking what can we prune, but ask the question what must we have?" says Daniels. "If there are 100 now—I know there are at least two questions there we have to have, but not sure how many more than that there are.”
Daniels also urged Congress to approve more flexible Pell Grant funding for low-income students.
He pointed to Purdue’s tuition freeze and 10% reduction in food and housing costs as steps his campus has taken to cut costs.
