WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) is pleased to welcome Christopher J. Madaio as Senior Advisor, a new role reinforcing TICAS’ commitment to protect students and borrowers at the state level. Madaio will work closely with attorneys general, policymakers, and advocates to advance policies that hold institutions accountable and safeguard students’ educational investments.
For a decade, Madaio has fought for stronger protections in higher education, bringing a deep background in enforcement, consumer protection, and policy advocacy at both the state and federal levels. His career has focused on ensuring that students and borrowers are not misled, exploited, or left with insurmountable debt as a result of predatory practices.
Before joining TICAS, Madaio served as Director of the Investigations Group at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, where he led investigations of federally funded schools for violations like making misrepresentations to students. Previously, he was Vice President for Legal Affairs at Veterans Education Success, where he worked to protect student veterans from deceptive recruitment and lending practices. Earlier in his career, he spent six years as an Assistant Attorney General in Maryland, where he pursued cases supported his office’s legislative goals to stop for-profit college fraud, deceptive student loan practices, and consumer protection violations affecting students.
“Chris brings a wealth of expertise to TICAS at a time when students and borrowers need strong advocates at every level of government,” said Sameer Gadkaree, President of TICAS. “As federal oversight weakens, states must step up—and TICAS is committed to supporting them in that fight. Chris’s background in investigating fraud, enforcing student protections, and shaping policy makes him the right person to help us drive this work forward.”
Central to his position, Madaio will support state policy development and advocacy for guardrails against high debt and low-quality college programs, provide technical assistance to state attorneys general on higher education issues, and promote strong protections against fraud and abuse, security of student data, and due process for borrowers.
“The Department of Education is poised to pull back from enforcing even the most basic protections for students, which makes state action more urgent than ever,” said Madaio. “States have the power to stop predatory schools, pass meaningful laws to protect their residents, and, when necessary, challenge harmful federal policies. With TICAS, I am eager to strengthen these efforts so that students and borrowers get the protections they deserve.”
TICAS has been a leader in advancing state-level policies that strengthen accountability, consumer protections, and equity in higher education. Through its ongoing work in California, Michigan, and New York, the organization is equipping state leaders with the tools they need to push for reforms that protect students and borrowers. With Madaio’s expertise, TICAS will continue building momentum to ensure that students aren’t left vulnerable.
For more information on TICAS and its initiatives, visit www.ticas.org.
