In swift response to the White House’s recent nomination of James Kvaal as Department of Education (ED) under secretary, the higher education community has largely praised the announcement.
Kvaal currently serves as president of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) and previously served under the Obama administration as the deputy domestic policy adviser, focusing on economic opportunity, which included work on higher education initiatives.
During Kvaal’s White House tenure, he helped write the first gainful employment regulation, focused on college affordability, degree completions, and support for community college programming.
NASFAA President Justin Draeger said that Kvaal is a respected partner in the financial aid profession and a strong advocate for students.
“James recognizes the vital importance of financial aid administrators in opening doors of educational opportunity for students, and has spoken at multiple NASFAA events, including our annual conference,” Draeger said. “We look forward to working with him on college access and success issues, and congratulate him on his nomination.”