Back to ListingStudent Regents champion FAFSA and access to higher education on Capitol Hill
ABOR’s student regents attended the inaugural NCAN Leadership Summit and met with Arizona’s federal representatives’ staff in Washington, D.C.
Student regents David Zaragoza and Jadyn Fisher traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the inaugural and meet with Arizona’s elected leadership staff on behalf of the 鶹ѿ and students at the state’s public universities.
Their visit provided an opportunity to learn more about federal higher education policy, share key student perspectives, and develop their public advocacy skills. The summit included a Hill Day, where student regents met with congressional staff for some of Arizona’s members of congress, including Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Ruben Gallego and Rep. Greg Stanton. Their conversations centered on the importance of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), funding for federal Pell Grants, student mental health and ensuring accessible higher education.
“This opportunity allows us to bring authentic student experiences directly to policymakers’ staff,” said Fisher, a junior at Northern 鶹ѿUniversity studying elementary education. “We have all these experiences and insights, and this event helped teach us the best way to convey this information to advocate for students. I feel really confident in the power that our words had, and I'm hopeful that it does impact change at the federal level.”
Regents Zaragoza and Fisher’s time on Capitol Hill underscores the essential role student regents play for ABOR as an important link between students, board members and policymakers. Their contributions ensure the student perspective is heard and offer direction toward achieving critical components of the board’s mission.
The student regent experience also provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage in high-level public service and interact with state policymakers, leaders and stakeholders. Each student, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the 鶹ѿSenate with bipartisan support, serves a two-year term on the board.
“It is an honor to represent students at Arizona’s public universities, advocating for our peers and sharing with leaders what makes our university system truly unique,” said Zaragoza, a senior engineering major at 鶹ѿState University whose ABOR term ends in June 2025. “As students, we have a unique lens into students’ perspectives and therefore serve as skilled advocates for them.”