With issues of access and affordability at the forefront of conversations about higher education, Rice University deputy registrar Justin Schilke recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for policies that benefit students.
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers selected Schilke as one of 31 advocates to represent the organization during the AACRAO’s Hill Day, which allows member universities to engage with congressional offices to discuss their work and share about policy impact.
Schilke was one of only two Hill Day advocates from Texas and the only advocate to represent a private institution in the state. He and Loida González Utley, the director of recruitment and enrollment services for Texas A&M University-Central Texas, partnered for a full day of meetings with the legislative staff of five Texas lawmakers: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston; Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo; Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin; and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.
Schilke and González Utley advocated for maintaining and, in some cases, doubling Pell Grants, the largest federal grant program offered to low-income undergraduate students; supporting international students and streamlining the visa process; easing the transfer of credits from traditional four-year universities back to community colleges to enable more students to earn a degree; and maintaining funding for Department of Education programs that support low-income and nontraditional students. They also highlighted the financial value that colleges and universities provide to local and state economies as well as the economic benefits of enrolling international students.
The experience showed Schilke that “advocacy matters, and sometimes folks don’t know the issues until they’re brought up,” he said.
Schilke spent the first of his two days in Washington participating in the AACRAO’s training, which included a presentation by a journalist covering pressing issues in higher education, a roundtable with people who lobby regularly and a panel with former congressional staffers who explained the inner workings of government. The preparation also included simulations of the next day’s meetings.
Before the trip, Schilke met with Nathan Cook, Rice’s senior director of government relations, to ensure his activities aligned with university priorities, and he debriefed Cook when he returned. Schilke said he was grateful to Registrar David Tenney for supporting his participation in Hill Day. It marks the first time Rice was represented in the AACRAO’s annual event.
“It was a good experience,” Schilke said. “Rice’s support of these initiatives positions us as a leader in higher education.”