By Louisa Woodhouse, Senior Associate, Policy and Advocacy
Reading time: Two minutes
National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members
conducted 135 meetings with their federal elected officials during the
inaugural Leadership Summit to uplift student voices and make the case
for investing in the Pell Grant and Federal Student Aid. To keep the momentum
going, we are announcing a Virtual Advocacy Week, taking place May 5-9, 2025! During
this week, NCAN members will meet virtually with their federal representatives to
continue advocating for the higher education policies and funding that matter most to
our students.
Collectively,
we’re hoping to hold at least 100 virtual Hill meetings, and we need your help!
Spring is a critical time of year to play a role in influencing federal higher education funding and the good news is, there is still time to make an impact. Here’s how you can get involved:
Step One: Join us for a prep call on April 25 from 2-3PM ET to learn more about NCAN’s key policy priorities and how to plan
and prepare for virtual Hill meetings. Your registration for the prep
call will serve as your registration for Virtual Advocacy Week. Register here.
Step Two: Schedule Hill meetings with your federal
representatives. Use this email template to conduct outreach to the staffers of your Members
of Congress. You can plan for as many virtual meetings as your schedule allows,
but we are asking participants to commit to scheduling at least three virtual
Hill meetings if you have not recently had a chance to meet with your
Members of Congress. [If you have recently met with your federal elected
officials, you may want to reach out to others, such as Members of Congress on
the House Education and Workforce Committee, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, or those on the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees.]
Step Three: Use your meetings to share your story and
advocate for NCAN’s key policy priorities: investing in the Pell Grant and
maintaining a smooth and functional FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, process. Let NCAN know who you met
with so we can track progress toward our shared goal.
Ready to continue the momentum from our Leadership Summit? Register today!
Have more
advocacy questions? NCAN is offering additional support to members who are interested in
engaging in policy advocacy but have limited capacity. From helping to draft
communication materials like op-eds and policy updates, working with you to
refine your advocacy priorities, and designing and executing effective advocacy
strategies, we are here to support you. Please fill out this short formand we’ll reach out to schedule a one-on-one conversation about your advocacy needs.
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