Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero
GALVIN Sablan Deleon Guerrero, a longtime educator and independent candidate for delegate to the U.S. Congress, commended recent developments in higher education policy, highlighting them as the result of strategic collaboration and effective advocacy with national education leaders.
Deleon Guerrero credited these policy gains to persistent engagement with national organizations such as the American Council on Education, the State Higher Education Executive Officers, and Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. He emphasized the importance of building coalitions and working alongside national stakeholders to advance the interests of students and institutions in the Marianas.
“As a member of ACE and SHEEO and as a board member of APAHE, it truly is an honor to serve with national partners to secure important gains for our students, especially at a time of federal policy uncertainty,” said Deleon Guerrero. “These include stabilized funding for key programs, targeted scholarship support for workforce development, and more responsible student loan conditions, which will ensure gainful employment for college graduates and protect students and their families when they take out a loan to pay for education.”
Several of these federal policy wins include:
• Preserved funding for Minority Serving Institutions like Northern Marianas College.
• $12.6 billion in continued support for Pell Grants and the establishment of a new, bipartisan-supported Workforce Pell Grant to support students in short-term, career-focused training programs.
• Reforms to the federal student loan program that introduce loan caps, restrict predatory lending, and offer more alternative income-driven repayment options, such as the new Repayment Assistance Plan.
“While there’s still work to be done, I am glad that I was able to advocate for our students and our islands in my current role, and I pledge to do more for and beyond education if elected to Congress,” Deleon Guerrero said.
“As I’ve said before, there is no better way to improve lives than through education. Time and time again, investing in education lifts people and families out of poverty, creates economic opportunities, and transforms communities,” he added.
“That is what I’m fighting for: fighting for education, fighting for our people, fighting for us.”
