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NCAN Membership

Jump to:  Why Join NCAN?   Our Members   Membership Benefits   Member Levels and Fees   Membership Policies and Agreements

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is dedicated to supporting the needs of education, government, and civic sectors that help underrepresented middle and high school students aspire to, apply to, enter, and succeed in college. Members include national and community-based nonprofit organizations and programs, colleges and universities, public school districts, charter schools, state higher education agencies, community and private foundations, and scholarship providers. NCAN advocates on your behalf to remove barriers to postsecondary education and advancing policies and practices that support student success.

Organizations can join today to unlock benefits for your entire organization or program team - giving every staff member, including your college advisors, full access to resources designed to help mission-driven organizations connect, learn, and grow.

Regular Member

For nonprofit organizations, public and charter schools or districts, and nonprofit colleges/universities with degree-seeking students. Organizations that provide direct services to students at no cost are eligible for this membership category. 

Join

Supporting Member

For private foundations, associations, research firms, independent consultants, consulting firms, local and state government agencies, or for-profit companies.


Join

Is your employer/organization a member?

If you’re an employee, program staff member, college advisor, or part of a board or steering committee for an NCAN member organization, we’d love to have you join us! Just reach out to your Company Administrator or email us at [email protected] for help getting started.


Not a member but still interested in learning?

Create a non-member account today to register for NCAN webinars, events, and access our e-learning courses. Please note that non-members are subject to applicable programming fees. If your organization is an NCAN member, don’t worry - once we verify your affiliation, we’ll update your account so you receive full member benefits.

Create a Non-Member Account

Why Join NCAN?

Advance Your Mission: As a member, you are part of a growing network of more than 400 organizational members from various educational sectors across the country. Together, we can elevate our voices and strengthen the field of college access and success to help more students navigate the path to and through college.

Collaborate and Connect: College success takes a village, and at NCAN you can connect with other members spanning a broad range of the education, nonprofit, government, and civic sectors. Join thousands of professionals from national, regional, and local nonprofit organizations; colleges and universities; foundations and corporations; state education agencies; K-12 school districts; education associations; consultants; and researchers all unified under one mission: to help underrepresented students enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

Expand Your Skillset: Whether you’re locally, regionally, or nationally-based, we know you're seeking ways to serve more students more effectively. As a member, you’ll build relationships with peer programs around the country and participate in countless free and discounted professional development opportunities. We offer monthly webinars, peer exchanges, an annual Conference, and a Leadership Summit to ensure your organization's staff has the resources they need to do their jobs better and more efficiently.

Grow Your Capacity: NCAN is your trusted source on the latest news, trends, and policies. You’ll receive Success Digest, our members-only weekly email roundup of the top college access and success news you need to know, as well as discounts on events, data from the National Student Clearinghouse, and access to nationally vetted research, reports, and recommended tools to stay up to date on the most relevant and timely news and policies in the field.

Progress Your Career: Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned professional, NCAN’s Career Board, community, and professional resources are available to help you grow your skills, expand your leadership, and advance your career. Gain visibility through speaking opportunities, thought leadership, and national convenings, while building meaningful relationships with peers, mentors, and leaders across the country who can support your professional journey in college access and success.

Our Members

Check out the map below to see where our members are located or access the member directory.

Membership Benefits

NCAN provides its members with professional development, networking, tools, and news from the field so they can deliver postsecondary access and success services more effectively and to more students. NCAN advocates at the federal level on behalf of our members for policies and practices that remove barriers for students who are furthest away from opportunity and further support our members in their state-level advocacy efforts.

 By joining NCAN, members can enjoy numerous benefits, including:

Grow Professionally and Learn with Your Peers

  • Webinars: NCAN offers three-to-four webinars and/or peer exchanges per month on timely and relevant topics as well as evergreen practices such as supporting mixed-status families through the financial aid process, direct admissions, and preventing summer melt - so that you can apply proven and promising practices that improve student outcomes.
  • E-Learning: Free access to NCAN's comprehensive e-learning platform with over 30 self-paced, online courses updated annually - so that you and up to 100 of your colleagues can continuously strengthen your skills, refresh your knowledge, and build organizational capacity.
  • Leadership Summit: NCAN members convene annually in Washington, DC, to engage in thought leadership with peers from across the country, learn from experts about timely policy topics shaping postsecondary education, and speak out about the issues impacting students and communities.
  • Peer Networking and Shared Learning: Through moderated peer exchanges, our Online Member Community, and other cohort-based groups, you can learn from and share with like- minded colleagues - so that you can collaborate, share solutions, and accelerate progress together.
  • Discounted Member Pricing: Receive discounted pricing for NCAN's National Conference, Leadership Summit, and other in-person events - so that more of your colleagues can connect, learn, and contribute to collective impact in the college access and success movement.

Stay Current on the Latest News in Policy, Practice, and Research

  • Success Digest: Subscribe to our members-only weekly e-newsletter for curated insights on the latest research, policy developments, grant opportunities, and innovative program strategies- so that you stay informed and empowered to make data-driven, student-centered decisions. Members can share their news, events, and job postings, too.
  • Online Community: A members-only Slack channel where members support each other on a range of topics, such as troubleshooting current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) issues and student scenarios and share the latest in data and research, policy updates, and much more - so that you can adopt solutions to meet the unique needs of your community. Members can subscribe in the member portal.
  • Advisory Task Force (ATF): A cohort of members interested in cultivating deeper relationships with other members, sharing strategies to solve pressing issues in the postsecondary field, and providing valuable insights to strengthen NCAN’s member services. Applications to join open in the fall, and selected members commit to monthly meetings for one year, with an option to serve for a second year.
  • Rapid Response Policy Team (RRPT): Members interested in engaging more deeply with advocacy efforts and ready to act can sign up for policy updates from NCAN. Members can sign up in the membership portal.

Be Recognized for Your Efforts and Supported in Your Work

  • Members get preference for competitive NCAN National Conference workshop session proposals.
  • Members are connected with journalists, researchers, funders, policymakers, and one another whenever expertise is in demand. These connections open doors for members to highlight their work, amplify their voice, and influence conversations at statewide, regional, and national levels.
  • Eligible members may apply for grant-funded projects designed to strengthen or increase implementation of effective new practices.
  • Members are eligible to receive NCAN's annual Awards of Excellence.
  • Members can be recognized as a "Member of the Month" and be profiled on our site.
  • Members can share their organization’s job openings on NCAN’s Jobs Board for free and manage them through their member portal. By posting through the Jobs Board, you'll reach a broader audience of potential candidates in the college access and success field.
  • Members can show their pride and receive a "Member of NCAN" logo to display online or in print. Current NCAN members can obtain this logo by logging in to the member portal.

Member Levels and Fees

NCAN has two membership classes for organizations: regular members and supporting members. Consult the charts below to find your category. Employees of member organizations are eligible to create their member accounts after creating a user account.

Regular Members

Regular members are nonprofit entities, or networks of those entities, which provide college access and success services directly to students for free and appropriately protect students’ privacy.

NCAN reserves the right to deny or rescind membership from any entity that fails to meet these criteria or failure to pay required dues.

Supporting Members

Supporting members are organizations that do not qualify for regular membership, such as private foundations, associations, research firms, independent consultants, consulting firms, government agencies, or for-profit companies. These entities are committed to serving first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students historically underrepresented in higher education and do not charge students/families for their services.

NCAN reserves the right to deny and rescind membership from any supporting member with a business model that does not appropriately protect student privacy or for failure to pay required dues.

Membership Policies and Agreements

How to Join NCAN

Joining NCAN is simple:

  1.  Create a User Account
    Start by selecting either a Regular or Supporting membership level. Then create your user account.
  2. Complete the Membership Application
    Fill out the online application and choose whether to:
    • Pay your dues online immediately, or
    • Generate an invoice for later payment.
  3. Instant Approval
    Once you submit your application, it is automatically approved. You can begin accessing member benefits right away.
  4. Company Administrator Role
    The person who creates the account automatically becomes the organization’s Company Administrator. This individual can:
    • Add or remove colleagues from the membership roster
    • Assign additional Company Administrators
    • Renew the organization’s membership after the membership term ends
    • Invite staff members to join via a unique email invitation
  5. Ongoing Eligibility Reviews
    To ensure all members continue to meet NCAN’s eligibility criteria, NCAN periodically reviews membership status.
    • If an organization’s eligibility changes, NCAN will work with you to determine the most appropriate membership option.
    • NCAN reserves the right to revoke membership if eligibility requirements are not met or if inappropriate behavior occurs online or at in‑person NCAN events.

Membership Year

Starting April 1, 2026, all new memberships will follow a one‑year anniversary cycle. That means your membership will be valid for 12 months from the month you join - easy and straightforward!

With a few exceptions, if your organization joined before April 1, 2026, you’ll stay on the July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, membership year. If you don’t renew within the two‑month grace period, and decide to come back later, you’ll simply shift to the new anniversary‑based cycle when you rejoin.

We’ll send email reminders and helpful tips along the way, so renewing your membership is simple and stress‑free.

Billing Process

A member’s annual renewal billing cycle will begin 45 days prior to their expiration date with a 60-day grace period to renew. Members who do not renew within the grace period will have their membership cancelled.

Return/Refund Policy

Membership fees paid in full may be refunded on a pro-rated monthly basis if:

  • NCAN rescinds the membership due to eligibility requirements not being met, or
  • The member organization disbands or ceases operations.

To request a cancellation and refund, members must email us at [email protected] with their notice and reason for cancellation. Refunds will be issued in the same method as the payment.

Statewide and Regional College Access Network (CAN) Discount

NCAN members who are (1) members of a statewide/regional college access network (e.g., AzCAN, Florida College Access Network, Michigan College Attainment Network, TxCAN, etc.) or (2) a chapter/affiliate of a national organization (e.g.,  College Advising Corps and Breakthrough Collaborative) that are NCAN members can receive a 25% discount on their NCAN dues. The statewide CAN or national organization must be a Regular Member of NCAN for the discount to apply.

Privacy Policy

NCAN values the privacy of its members, and we have structured our online activities to protect your privacy. When you register on our web site, the information is collected to verify membership, to maintain the members-only portion of our web site, process a donation, and/or to send you confirmation emails and mailings. NCAN does not sell, trade, rent, lease or share personal information about our members to any third-party source not affiliated with NCAN.

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