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Keynote Speaker - Thursday, 9 a.m.
Kathleen Smith, President of the Education Finance Council (EFC), brings the Washington perspective of what is happening daily in the rapidly changing environment of the student loan industry. As debate over Title IV and other aspects of higher education receiving unprecedented media and political scrutiny, Ms. Smith will address what has occurred, its impact, what is yet to occur and what the impact of the upcoming Presidential election could mean to student aid going forward.
EFC's mission is to promote and expand access to higher education by ensuring the availability of student loan funds while striving to make paying for college easier and less expensive for all students and families. EFC represents non-profit student loan secondary markets that participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) as well as affiliated entities including guaranty agencies, lenders, rating agencies, insurers and investment bankers.
Keynote Speaker's Biography: Kathleen Smith is responsible for all management aspects of the EFC Washington Office. She represent the interests of the EFC membership with Congress, the White House, the U.S. Department of Education and within the higher education community, promoting the association's goal of ensuring access to affordable postsecondary education for all students and families.
Before taking the position of EFC President in January of 2005, Ms. Smith held the lead staff position on higher education issues for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. In that capacity, she spent three and a half years working directly with key members of Congress on higher education issues and has played a leading role in numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation designed to improve the Nation's higher education system.
Ms. Smith received her B.A. from D'Youville College in 1982, a Masters in public administration (MPA) from the University of New Haven in 1991, and a Masters Degree in communications and public policy at American University in 1998.
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