President Dillon Re-Appointed to Congressional Advisory
Committee
(Spring 1999 Newsletter)
Just prior to resigning as Speaker of the House
of Representatives in January, Newt Gingrich re-appointed
College President, Dr. Thomas Dillon, to a second three-year
term on the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.
The Committee offers advice and counsel to the Congress and
Secretary of Education on student financial aid matters in
higher education.
The prestigious eleven-member committee consists
of three members appointed by the president pro-tem of the
Senate, three members appointed by the Speaker of the House,
and five members appointed by the Secretary of Education.
Established in 1986, the Committee was created by an Act of
Congress to provide objective, non-partisan, and independent
analyses on important aspects of student assistance programs
under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
Dr. Dillon's participation on the Committee
is unique because Thomas Aquinas College receives no federal
or state financial assistance. The College's financial aid
program is sustained almost exclusively from charitable contributions,
although its students are eligible to receive Cal Grants and
government-backed student loans.
Some of the Colleges represented on the Committee
include the University of Virginia, the University of Texas,
Boston University, the University of Mississippi, Western
Michigan University, and Ohio University. Congressman "Buck"
McKeon (R-CA) of nearby Santa Clarita, California, who chairs
the House Subcommittee on Post-Secondary Education, Training
and Lifelong Learning, had nominated Dr. Dillon to the Speaker
of the House for the position.
In re-appointing Dr. Dillon to the Committee,
Mr. Gingrich stated: "As I am sure you can imagine, several
well-qualified candidates were presented to me for consideration.
Your credentials and past experience on the Committee led
me to this decision. There is no doubt in my mind that you
will continue to make valuable contributions to the work of
the Committee. Your willingness to serve in this important
capacity is a true service to America."
The purpose of the Advisory Committee is
to provide extensive knowledge of federal, state, and institutional
programs of post-secondary student assistance and to analyze
various performance-based organizations and make recommendations
regarding modernization, technology, simplification of law,
distance learning and early education and needs assessment
for low- and middle-income students.
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