As a first-generation college student and a respected education policy expert with more than two decades of experience, Kent serves as the nation’s top federal official for higher education. As Under Secretary, Kent oversees the Department’s postsecondary education, career, technical, and adult education, and federal student aid programs. This includes managing the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio and the over $30 billion Pell Grant program. Before joining the U.S. Department of Education, Kent served as Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia under Governor Glenn Youngkin. He also holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from The George Washington University.