Kvaal Confirmed as Under Secretary of Education
Alexis Gravely
September 15, 2021
The Senate voted 58 to 37 Tuesday to confirm James Kvaal as under secretary of education, nearly five months after his confirmation hearing.
Kvaal, who most recently served as president of the Institute for College Access and Success, was broadly supported by the higher education community for the department’s top higher education post. But his confirmation vote was held up by Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, until last month.
“James Kvaal, the nation’s new Under Secretary of Education, has a deep understanding of the strengths, needs, and challenges in postsecondary education,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “With this confirmation, the Biden administration and the American people gain a dedicated and distinguished public servant with strong expertise in higher education who will always put students first.”
