HARTFORD Conn.
State Higher Education Commissioner Valerie Lewis is retiring.
Lewis has headed up the 55-member Department of Higher Education since 2000.
During her tenure, there has been a 93 percent increase in funds for state student aid programs. The board also adopted a policy in 2004 that limited tuition increases and set aside 15 percent of all tuition revenues for aid for needy students.
Lewis was appointed by the Board of Governors for Higher Education, which conducts planning and policy-making for Connecticut’s 47 colleges and universities. The board also handles the licensing and accreditation of academic programs and institutions.
Connecticut’s 70 private occupational schools also fall under the agency’s purview.
–Associated Press
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
