10/09/2026
Stephens College's voice reached Capitol Hill this week. Keri Gilbert, MPA, FAAC®, Associate Vice President of Financial Aid Analytics and Compliance, represented Stephens College and small colleges nationwide as a panelist at the Student Aid Alliance Congressional Briefing on the Future of Student Aid Programs.
Speaking directly to Congressional staff, Keri reminded attendees that students don't experience federal aid programs the way lawmakers see them on paper: "I've sat across from students and families trying to figure out how they're going to make college work. They aren't thinking about whether a dollar came from Pell, FSEOG, Work-Study, the state of Missouri, or Stephens College. They're looking at the bottom line and asking, 'Can I do this?'"
As Stephens College President, Dr. Shannon B. Lundeen said, "When the rules change, we want our people at the table contributing to the conversation, not just reacting to it, and that’s exactly where Keri has been."
Keri's voice helps ensure that institutions like ours, and the students we serve, are not an afterthought in decisions about federal financial aid policy and the future of higher education.
🔗 Read the full article: https://ow.ly/imzc50ZWqtr
