Dowden joins Washington, D.C. panel on college affordability

HUNTINGTON, Ind. Dr. Blair Dowden, president of Huntington University, will participate in a panel discussion of college affordability in Washington, D.C., during the annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

The Jan. 31 panel will be led by Zakiya Smith, senior advisor for education at the White House Domestic Policy Council.Additional panelists includeHardin-Simmons University president Lanny Hall andWilliam Peace University president Debra Townsley.

Coming justdays after President Barack Obama unveiled proposalsto tie federal funds to college affordability, Dowden's remarks will focus on cost-saving measures, a low 2.5% tuition increase, and Huntington's innovativeloan repayment assistance program for all undergraduates.

Click here for the complete NAICU announcement: White House Official, Private College Presidents to Address Higher Education Affordability at Jan. 31 NAICU Annual Meeting Session

Huntington University was ranked 10th in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category for best-value colleges in the Midwest in the 2012 version of the guide to America's Best Colleges published by U.S. News & World Report. This ranking is based on the percentage of students receiving need-based grants, the average cost of tuition after receiving those grants and the average discount from the total cost.