North Carolina A&T State University News April 4, 2012 U.S. Under Secretary of Education to discuss College Affordability on NCAT Campus If tuition hikes and the worry of still being able to afford a college education top your list of concerns, you should attend the upcoming forum with Under Secretary of Education, Dr. Martha Kanter on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University. The public forum on "Ensuring College Affordability, Quality And Completion" will be held Monday, April 9, 1 p.m. for academic administrators and community leaders and 3 p.m. for parents, students and the community, at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center, 200 N. Benbow Road. Kanter will be joined by White House HBCU Executive Director John S. Wilson. Students, educators, administrators and community members are encouraged to attend the free event. The forum will be an opportunity to share views about the impact of increased tuition rates and financial aid availability has had on students, parents and university administrators. Kanter will also focus on the significant role of college in society, the return on investing in post-secondary education and the shared responsibility of students, post-secondary institutions, the states, and the federal government in expanding college opportunity. Her visit will highlight The Obama Administration's new "Blueprint for Making College More Affordable" introduced earlier this year. The Blueprint addresses the nation's goals towards helping students complete their education and value it affords society. At the U.S. Department of Education, Kanter oversees policies, programs and activities related to postsecondary education, adult and career-technical education, federal student aid and five White House Initiatives: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She and her team are focused on improving college access, affordability, quality, and completion to implement the president's American Graduation Initiative. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.