From Columbia to Capitol Hill: Keri Gilbert Represents Stephens in National Student Aid Conversation
Keri Gilbert, MPA, FAAC®, Associate Vice President of Financial Aid Analytics and Compliance at Stephens College, was honored to represent small colleges this week as a panelist at the Future of Student Aid Programs Congressional Briefing hosted by the Student Aid Alliance.
The briefing, moderated by Dr. Emmanual Guillory of the American Council on Education, convened policymakers, students, and financial aid leaders to examine how proposed changes to federal aid programs would ripple through the lives of real students and families.
Gilbert brought the perspective of small, private colleges to the conversation, representing institutions where personalized financial aid counseling is often the difference between a student enrolling and walking away.
Joining Gilbert on the panel were Julia Davis, a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia; Brad Barnett, Associate Vice President for Access and Enrollment Management/Financial Aid Director at James Madison University and past NASFAA Chair; and Griffin Crouch, Student Body President at George Mason University.
Together, the panel offered Congressional staff a 360-degree view of the student aid ecosystem, spanning the undergraduate experience, graduate research funding, and the institutional work that makes it all run.
A Message From the Front Lines
During her remarks, Gilbert 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?'”
“If there’s one thing I would ask you to remember when you’re looking at these programs as lines in an appropriations bill, it’s that students experience them together. A reduction in one program doesn’t make that student’s financial need disappear. It simply changes who has to fill the gap.”
Her message landed at a pivotal moment, as Congress weighs appropriations decisions and continues implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), which is reshaping entire aid programs and loan calculations.
Stephens Leadership in the Room
Stephens College President Dr. Shannon B. Lundeen attended the briefing alongside Gilbert, underscoring the institution’s commitment to ensuring small colleges are represented in national conversations about higher education policy.
“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,” said Lundeen. “To watch her speak directly to Congressional staff about the role federal financial aid plays in sustaining access to higher education for students at a small college in Missouri is advocacy of the most meaningful kind. Her 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.”
A Continued National Presence
Gilbert’s appearance at the Congressional briefing follows her recognition earlier this year as the NASFAA Midwest Region Leadership Award recipient, honoring sustained, creative, and integrity-driven leadership in financial aid. She has presented at every NASFAA National Conference since joining Stephens and has become a sought-after voice on the realities facing small-college financial aid offices during a period of unprecedented regulatory change.
For the students and families she serves, and the many more represented by colleges like Stephens across the country, that seat at the table matters.
