Rep. Shalala Addresses Federal Higher Education Policy in Post-COVID World – NASFAA
The long-lasting and deep impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on federal higher education policy cannot be understated, said Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) Friday during a conversation hosted by Third Way, a center-left think tank.
Furthermore, the first-term lawmaker and former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton said the federal government has yet to do enough to help students and institutions who have been adversely impacted, saying the stimulus package passed in March was just the first step in offsetting the financial impact the virus has had.
Shalala discussed at length how the federal government has responded to the ongoing pandemic and what more needs to be done to limit further disruptions and hopefully bring students back to campus in the fall.
She made clear that the key for the fall is to keep campus communities safe and healthy for all, including faculty and staff along with their families, if students ultimately return.
“We continue our core responsibilities [to educate students] but protect the health of people who work, live, and study in our institutions,” Shalala said.