Announcing NCAN’s NEW State Policy Resource Center

By Catherine Brown, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy

Reading time: Three minutes

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is pleased to unveil its State Policy Resource Center, a one stop shop for policy research, inspiration, and support for organizations working to advance college affordability through state policy. Whether you’re new to advocacy and seeking tips for getting started or a seasoned pro looking for fresh statistics to bolster your case, we’ve got you!

From new state-by-state analyses of the economic impact of college completion to issue briefs on effective state policies, this resource center is designed to accelerate your impact, providing you with materials you can pick up and use in advocacy, and freeing you to spend your limited time on what matters most – building relationships.

This Resource Center pulls together for the first time state-by-state analyses that NCAN has produced annually for many years with new resources. It includes:

• The Growing Gap report - an annual analysis of the gap between the full cost of attendance and the resources available to the average Pell student at each postsecondary institution.
• The FAFSA Tracker - a database of FAFSA completion progress by state, high school, and subgroup, updated weekly.
• Pell Grants Left on the Table - a state-by-state analysis of the amount of money by state that students aren’t capturing by not completing the FAFSA.
• State Policy Levers - a national landscape of key state policy levers for advancing college and career readiness with rankings of each state’s policies on eight key measures.
• Issue Briefs on State Financial Aid - new reports highlighting research on the features of effective state financial aid programs, the cost to students of imposing unnecessary administrative requirements, with tools for auditing your state’s financial aid programs.
• A How-to-Guide on Building Coalitions - tips, templates, and examples from NCAN member organizations across the country.
• Op-Ed Guide - guidance for writing, pitching, and promoting an effective op-ed.
• Lobbying vs. Advocacy - guidance for understanding how and when you can lobby.
• And much more!

This center was built in response to member demand. More than half of respondents reported on NCAN’s last annual membership survey that they are engaged in state policy advocacy and would like more support in this area. With states contributing almost half of higher education funding, state policy offers a powerful opportunity to drive change. We will continue to build this resource as our members continue to drive change, so check back regularly for updates!

If you have any questions, please reach out to one of the following individuals:

Read More:

• Do Universal FAFSA Policies Prevent High School Graduation?
• How Texas’ HB 8 is a Legislative Model for Other States’ Postsecondary Pathways
• Tools You Can Use: NCAN Releases New State Analyses of Economic Value of College