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The Honorable George Miller
United States House of RepresentativesA member of the House since 1975, Rep. George Miller, Democrat from California, stands as that body's ninth most senior member. His leadership role as chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and of the House Democratic Policy Committee, has given him the opportunity to serve as the lead advocate for making college more affordable for low-income students. His steadfast support of the federal government's role in college access has made a difference over the years for thousands of students who might otherwise never have been able to continue their education.
Miller has served on the Education and Labor Committee since coming to Congress, and as chairman since 2006. With college affordability as one of his top priorities, Miller has been a consistent advocate for increasing the Pell Grant maximum to help low-income students afford a college education.
After Democrats regained control of the House in 2006, Miller was instrumental in helping the party's leadership achieve its "Six for '06" agenda, which included cutting student loan interest rates. His College Cost Reduction and Access Act - described as the biggest investment in student aid since the original GI bill - achieved that reduction in student loan interest rates, and also provided mandatory funding to increase the Pell Grant maximum from $4,310 to $5,400 over five years.
Last year, Miller was instrumental in further boosting student aid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, by establishing that investment in student aid is an important economic recovery tool - both in keeping students in college and in helping retrain workers. As a result of his efforts, the stimulus bill increased the Pell Grant maximum by $500 in 2009 and 2010, and the Federal Work Study program by $200 million.
Miller also authored the Student Aid Fiscal Responsibility Act, to address President Obama's goal of significantly increasing U.S. college graduation rates by 2020. His bill, passed by the House in September, upholds two of NAICU's key policy positions: federal investment in student aid, and avoidance of inappropriate federal intrusion into the private college sector. It provides $40 billion in mandatory funds to increase the Pell Grant maximum to $6,900 by 2018; technical assistance funds for institutions converting to direct lending; and an expansion of the Perkins Loan program to help students avoid the more expensive private loan market.
As a life-long Californian, Miller graduated from Diablo Valley Community College and San Francisco State University, and earned his law degree from the University of California Davis School of Law. His father is a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California, where Miller still maintains fond ties. Before his election to Congress, he served on the staff of California's then-State Senate Majority Leader George Moscone.
In presenting this award, NAICU is particularly appreciative of George Miller's support in two recent challenges to our independence, and his help in striking compromises that maintain an appropriate balance between our public missions and our independent governance structures. First, when NAICU challenged the 2006 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act on the issues of states as accreditors and price controls, Miller worked with the association to forge a better bill for both students and institutions. Second, Miller championed a provision in the Student Aid Fiscal Responsibility Act allowing private colleges to opt into state discussions of persistence and completion without their being subjected to state control, or being required to participate in state longitudinal databases.
For the constancy and effectiveness of his long-term service in Congress, for his strong support of the federal student aid programs on behalf of our poorest students, and for his understanding and support of the essential public purpose our nation's private colleges and universities serve, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is pleased to present Congressman George Miller with the 17th Annual NAICU Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education.
The NAICU Advocacy Award was established to recognize individuals outside of academe who have championed the cause of independent higher education. Whether in government, business, or philanthropy, the winner of this award has provided leadership, established resources, or enacted policy at the state or national level that recognized the role of independent colleges and universities in serving public purposes. No single contribution makes one eligible to receive the award. Instead, it recognizes a lifetime of service, initiative, and determination.
Previous Award Winners - NAICU Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education
1993 The Honorable Terry Sanford, U.S. Senate
1994 The Honorable Tom Harkin, U.S. Senate
1995 The Honorable Robert Stafford, U.S. Senate
1996 (Special Summit Meeting - no award was given)
1997 The Honorable Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education
1998 The Honorable William Roth, U.S. Senate
1999 The Honorable Claiborne Pell, U.S. Senate
2000 The Honorable Arlen Specter, U.S. Senate
2001 The Honorable David R. Obey, U.S. House of Representatives
2002 The Honorable Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, U. S. House of Representatives
2003 The Honorable Dale E. Kildee, U.S. House of Representatives
2004 The Honorable Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senate
2005 The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, President, Drew University; Chair, The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; and Former Governor of New Jersey
2006 The Honorable Philip S. English, U.S. House of Representatives
2007 Loren Pope, College Placement Counselor and Author, Colleges That Change Lives
2008 The Honorable Ralph Regula, U. S. House of Representatives
2009 The Honorable John W. Warner, U.S. Senate
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