Sen. Tom Harkin has appointed Roberta Johnson, director of financial aid at Iowa State, to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

Johnson will serve a four-year term where she will be part of an independent committee that provides advice and counsel on student aid policy to Congress and the Secretary of Education with a specific focus on increased college access for low, and middle-income students.

Luckily for Iowa State, this doesn’t mean Johnson will be leaving her position with the Office of Financial Aid.

Johnson has been working at Iowa State within the Financial Aid department for over 30 years, starting as an entry-level secretary in 1982 and working her way up.

“It is a great honor to be appointed to this committee.  Not only does my appointment bring recognition to Iowa State, it allows me opportunity to provide input on financial aid policies that will affect students across the nation,” Johnson said.

Members of the advisory committee are appointed in one of three ways.

Four members are appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives — two each upon recommendation by the majority and minority leaders.

Four members are appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate — two each upon recommendation by the majority and minority leaders.

The Secretary of Education appoints the last three members to the committee. 

According to Title IV of the Higher Education Act, the committee is required to conduct objective, nonpartisan and independent analyses on important aspects of the student assistance programs.

Harkin recommended Johnson for the position in February and announced her appointment on March 6, 2013.

 “Some colleges, like my alma mater — Iowa State University, are investing in earlier and more effective counseling so that families can start planning from the first year of college and know their financing and repayment options,” Harkin said in a press release.

It is this innovative thinking that is so critical to a national advisory board such as the ACSFA; it is what will make Roberta Johnson, who has been on the front lines working with students and implementing sound policies, such as valuable resource.”

As an advising committee member, Johnson hopes to keep the view on higher education positive.

“I believe that our greatest national treasure is people.  While some argue that higher education is an individual good because the individual who obtains a degree has the potential to earn more over their lifetime, higher education is also a public good in that it supports a more engaged and informed populace,” Johnson said.

“Research already shows that investing in higher education leads to a higher tax base, more civic engagement, less crime, less unemployment, etc.”