Reinhardt President Mark A. Roberts, Ph.D., spent several days in Washington D.C. earlier this week. While there, he attended the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) annual meeting to learn about federal policy changes that impact American private higher education.
Dr. Roberts joined fellow presidents and government representatives whose institutions are members of the Georgia Independent College Association (GICA) to advocate for colleges like Reinhardt with federal lawmakers. The team met with U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and U.S. Representatives Nikema Williams, Buddy Carter, and Rick Allen, who all represent Georgia.
President Roberts shared with law makers that 87% of Reinhardt University’s student body consists of Georgians who, upon graduation, serve in vital occupations. These include working in Georgia’s hospitals as nurses and medical professionals, in law enforcement agencies as officers and detectives, in schools as teachers and principals, in corporations as managers, accountants, and technologists, and governments as public servants and cybersecurity experts, among other vital occupations.
Dr. Roberts emphasized that Reinhardt provides deserving students with academic and talent scholarships to reduce the financial burden of a college degree. 88.8% of students receive some type of institutional aid. This aid, combined with Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study Grants, and Federal student loans, create accessible paths for all Georgians seeking a college degree.
Visits by Georgia college presidents to Capitol Hill are important as law makers grapple with challenging issues related to national and state workforce development.
