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College Affordability Summit: FAFSA & Beyond
June 9, 2026 - June 11, 2026
CTThe 2026 College Affordability Summit will bring together practitioners, policymakers, and postsecondary partners to strengthen financial aid efforts across the region. Amid shifting federal policy and evolving local challenges, this convening aims to share best practices, deepen cross-state collaboration, and clarify the roles and responsibilities of all actors in improving student access to financial aid.
Summit Goals
- Equip state-level stakeholders to address emerging topics related to college affordability that advances states’ postsecondary attainment and workforce development goals.
- Strengthen intra-state and cross-sector sharing of best practices on college and career attainment, cost transparency, financial aid policy, and FAFSA completion support.
- Promote regional and national collaboration, with a particular focus on the Midwest, by highlighting organizations and initiatives advancing FAFSA completion and college affordability and by facilitating dialogue around the sharing of resources and effective practices across states.
2026 MHEC College Affordability Summit Agenda
ViewPlenary Session - Collaborative Strategies to Support Adult Learner Re-enrollment and Affordability
Joanna Dressel, Elizabeth Looker, and Toni-Anne Richards, Ithaka S+R
ViewBreakout Session 1A - Price, Trust, and Action: New National Research on What's Driving Affordability Confusion and How States and Institutions Can Respond
Justin Draeger and James Ward, Strada Education Foundation
ViewBreakout Session 1B - Engaging Hoosiers Through Destination FAFSA: Direct Messaging to Traditional and Adult Learners
Angel McAllister and Victoria Phair, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
ViewBreakout Session 2A: Connecting Students to Postsecondary Pathways Using MI Student Aid Programs
Emily Hurtado-Arboleda, MiLEAP
ViewBreakout Session 2B: Apples to Apples: Implementing a Statewide Standard Financial Aid Offer Letter
Wendy Robinson, Minnesota Office of Higher Education
ViewBreakout Session 2C: Capped Out: New Federal Loan Limits and What They Mean for Students, Schools, and States
Clare McCann, Postsecondary Education & Economics Research (PEER) Center
ViewPlenary Session - Washington Update: What’s Next from Congress and the Administration?
Tom Harnisch, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and Louisa Woodhouse, National College Attainment Network (NCAN)
ViewBreakout Session 3A: Better Together: Navigating Universal FAFSA Through Strategic State Partnerships
Erick Drumheller, Education Quest
ViewBreakout Session 3B: Journey to College: MDHEWD’s Strategic Approach to Outreach, Engagement, and Program Growth
Alison Notter and Gary Standiford, Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
ViewBreakout Session 3B: Supplemental Materials
Alison Notter and Gary Standiford, Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
ViewBreakout Session 3C: FutureReady States: Lessons Learned (So Far)
Alisha Cederberg, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement; Christina Warden, Women Employed; and Kermit Kaleba, Lumina Foundation
ViewClosing Plenary Session - Two Years Out: The Impacts of the FAFSA Change and Where We Head Next
Bill DeBaun and MorraLee Keller, National College Attainment Network (NCAN)
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