Like too many kids in our country, Kyrsten experienced homelessness and poverty growing up.  She knows firsthand that education is a ticket to a better life - without student loans and Pell grants it would have been out of reach for her. She believes the burden of student loan debt should not keep anyone from higher education. With costs rising, Kyrsten is working hard to make higher education more affordable and give Arizonans tools to be economically successful and secure.

In Congress, she helped pass a law to keep student loan rates lower and to make it easier for families to save and pay for college expenses. She is working to strengthen STEM education for primary and secondary students, and to increase access to technical and skills training so all Arizonans can be successful and get ahead. Helping more students and Arizona families access affordable, high-quality education is the key to ensuring strong job creation and economic security for our community long into the future.

Teaching Instead of Testing

Kyrsten knows that teachers should focus on the content their students need to master—not simply material for an upcoming standardized test. This is why Kyrsten and Republican Congressman Chris Gibson introduced the Student Testing Improvement & Accountability Act, which makes commonsense reforms to the No Child Left Behind Act by reducing the frequency of federally-mandated assessments in U.S. schools.

College Savings

Rising college costs put higher education and the American Dream out of reach for too many Arizona families. Kyrsten is working with members of both parties to find thoughtful, innovative solutions to make college more affordable. That is why she supports expanding college savings plans to help Arizona students purchase computers, software, and Internet access. It is a commonsense fix that helps our students connect to a world-class education.

Student Debt

As a professor at Arizona State University, Kyrsten frequently hears from many of her students about how difficult it can be to effectively manage existing student loans. That’s why when Congress failed to do its job and nearly let student loan interest rates double, she stood up for students in Arizona and across the country. She brought the stories of Arizona students that were impacted by Congress’ inaction to the House Floor.