One year ago, 170 NCAN members and students gathered in Washington for our premier annual advocacy engagement – NCAN Advocacy Training and Hill Day.
Little did we know our members and students, on behalf of 90 organizations in 31 states, were participating in what would be the last in-person NCAN convening since that time.
Now, as we begin to see some light in the face of severe crises resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, our advocacy remains laser-focused on solutions to help students find certainty in their postsecondary pursuits and to make gains on closing equity gaps
in attainment for all students. NCAN, our member advocates, and many of our partners focused on postsecondary student success have prioritized calling for a robust and sustained investment in the Pell Grant program.
Leading up to this year’s New Congress Virtual Advocacy Week, NCAN member advocates and students spent two months engaged in an advocacy-skill-building training series. Then, during the first
week of March, NCAN members and students virtually met with their members of Congress to share their stories and advocate for doubling the maximum Pell Grant award and other steps Congress can take to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment.
In total, 220 NCAN members and students, on behalf of over 75 member organizations, conducted over 100 meetings with congressional staff.
Despite missing the personal engagement of an in-person gathering, one advantage of convening in a virtual format is that it reduces typical barriers to participation. Many of our members and students have individual responsibilities that make travel
to our nation’s capital and time spent away from home a significant challenge. In a way, a virtual approach to advocacy allows for greater and more equitable participation.
Below are some social media highlights from New Congress Virtual Advocacy Week and information on NCAN’s priority to #DoublePell.
Social Media Highlights
Next week, we will be participating in the @NCANNetwork Advocacy Week, which will be calling Congress to double the Pell grant. Learn more at: https://t.co/FGSbAlSx6R
SRA is committed to making college accessible for students of all backgrounds. SRA Scholar and @NCANetworkStudent Federal Advocacy Fellow, Alishba, shares "With #DoublePell students who come from the same background as me can afford housing and personal expenses." #Thankful4Pellpic.twitter.com/SsAysijCH4
This week @ileadmn will be joining with @NCANetwork and organizations from across the country to advocate for #DoublePell.
By Doubling the Pell Grant we can help make college affordable again for millions of students, allowing them to pursue their American Dream.
The Pell Grant program serves as the cornerstone of federal investment in higher education. The need-based grant program provides crucial support for around 7 million students each year at over 5,000 institutions across the country. This aid is well-targeted;
the majority of Pell Grant recipients have family incomes of under $40,000. Pell Grants are also significant for students of color: 59% of Black students, 51% of American Indian/Alaska Native students, 48% of Hispanic/Latino students, and 36% of Native
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students receive Pell Grants.
Unfortunately, the purchasing power of the Pell Grant has continuously declined since the mid-1970s. At its peak in 1975-76, the maximum Pell award covered more than three-fourths of the average cost of attendance – tuition, fees, and living expenses
– at a four-year public university. Today, it covers less than 30%, forcing students to borrow to finance their education.
While Congress has made modest increases to the maximum award to keep up with inflation, the last time lawmakers made a substantial investment in the Pell Grant program was the 2009-10 stimulus package. Doubling the maximum Pell Grant is the most crucial
step Congress can take to help narrow equity gaps in college attainment because affordability is at the heart of the problem. Doubling the maximum award would meet NCAN’s call for the Pell Grant to cover 50% of the cost of attendance for a public
four-year university and make postsecondary education a reality for more students.
#DoublePell should be the first step in addressing this crisis because this action would be well-targeted to the students who are most in need, and it can be taken regardless of state action on higher education.
Why Now?
The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably worsened the prospects of postsecondary access and success for many students. 1 in 5 students
from the high school class of 2020 who we would have expected to enroll in college last fall did not, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That number is 1 in 3 for students from high-poverty high schools.
Moreover, investing in postsecondary education is a means toward redressing the negative impacts of the pandemic’s resulting economic downturn. Those who pursue education beyond high school earn significantly more over their lifetime than those who do
not and are less likely to experience unemployment. Individuals without a college degree were the most likely to be laid off during the Great Recession, and early surveys show the trend is the same for this economic downturn. Also, nearly all of the jobs created in the recovery after the Great Recession were filled by individuals with at
least some college education.
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