By Melanie Baucom, Federal Relations Assistant, UNC General Administration
On Wednesday, September 11, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training of the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing entitled, “Keeping College Within Reach: Supporting Higher Education Opportunities for America’s Servicemembers and Veterans.”
The hearing came on the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, taking a moment of silence, asserted the fitting timeliness of the hearing. Witnesses, including UNC’s Vice President for Federal and Military Affairs, Kimrey Rhinehardt, gave testimony on the role of universities and university systems in providing higher education opportunities for military members and veterans.
Questions raised at the hearing included prior learning assessments, the 90/10 financial aid rule, President Obama’s “Principles of Excellence,” and whether or not it should be the role of the federal government to establish standards of measurements to best protect and serve military-related students. A hearing summary, as well as Kimrey’s oral and written testimony are attached to this email.