United States Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter discussed the current California higher education system at a forum at De Anza College Monday March 26.
“Higher education is an imperative, an economic imperative, not just a luxury,” Former De Anza president and Foothill-De Anza chancellor Kanter said.
Kanter was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 and speaks about more affordable, accessible, and quality education in the United States. She is the first Under Secretary of Education that comes from a community college.
Kanter said there are “no easy answers” when it comes to what needs to be done about the issues of higher education.
The Under Secretary said she wanted to work towards a more cost-efficient system by eventually eliminating the Pell grant application as well as reducing eligibility from nine years to six. She said the maximum award amount for Pell Grants will increase 1.5 percent starting in 2013 from $5,635 to $5,550.