Last week in New Orleans, LA, the National College Attainment Network’s (NCAN) 2025 National Conference, coinciding with the organization’s 30th anniversary, brought together nearly 1,500 leaders in college access and success - educators, practitioners,
students, and advocates - all sharing one purpose: to move past incremental change toward systemic shifts in how students access, afford, and complete college. In the largest Conference NCAN has ever produced by headcount, attendees
came together for three days of learning, networking, reflection, and celebration. Below, we break down this year’s highlights and events.
Pre-Conference
NCAN staff arrived in The Big Easy on September 7 for set-up and orientation and were joined by attendees for two of our pre-Conference events. The first session, “Family First: Strengthening Parent Engagement in a Successful Postsecondary Transition for Students with Learning Differences,” explored how practitioners can guide all students and their families – neurotypical and neurodivergent - through the often-misunderstood landscape of college accessibility. Participants examined current federal commitments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), designed engagement plans to help
families understand students’ rights and resources, and explored evidence-based frameworks to foster inclusive, proactive, and sustainable family engagement during this critical transition.
The second session, “When AI Is OK: Navigating the New Possibilities of AI-Assisted Advising,” focused on how college access and success organizations are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into advising, programming, and operations.
From chatbots that support Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion to large language models generating personalized guidance, attendees explored real-world use cases, discussed ethical considerations, and considered how AI can
extend - not replace - the work of caring adults. Both sessions provided interactive, hands-on opportunities to prepare participants for the evolving landscape of postsecondary support and set the stage for the three-day conference ahead.
Day One
The Conference officially kicked off on September 8 with remarks from NCAN CEO Kim Cook, NCAN Board President Catalina Cifuentes, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D), who reflected on NCAN’s 30-year legacy and underlined higher education’s transformative
power for communities long underserved. “Once again, this year, you were challenged to keep the faith and do the hard work, or heart work as my colleagues often say,” said Cook. “And once again, you delivered. Thank you for your persistence and unwavering
passion to achieve our shared missions towards equity in postsecondary attainment.” Mayor Cantrell also presented NCAN with an official proclamation in recognition of the organization’s anniversary.
Following the keynote, the day progressed with concurrent sessions, including roundtable discussions on topics like K-12 practices, college and career success, and postsecondary access. Attendees reconvened in the main ballroom for lunch, during which
the Latino Education Advancement Foundation, based in San Jose, CA, was presented with NCAN’s Member of the Year Award. This was followed immediately by a plenary discussion featuring Dr. Kim Hunter Reed,
the Commissioner for Higher Education at the Louisiana Board of Regents, and NCAN Board Member and Partner at BellwetherNick Lee, who discussed Reed’s work
boosting educational attainment, bridging achievement gaps, and fostering prosperity in Louisiana.
The afternoon was filled with more concurrent programming, including a session from NCAN’s own Simone Pringle which highlighted how partnerships between community-based organizations (CBOs) and higher ed institutions can benefit underrepresented students,
a session focused on advancing postsecondary access for rural students, and many more.
As long-time attendees know, no NCAN Conference is complete without a reception, and we pulled out all the stops for our 30th birthday party. In, as the grand marshal put it, “one of the biggest [second line parades] I’ve ever seen,” Kinfolk Brass Band led attendees in a parade from the Conference venue to the House of Blues New Orleans, where the opening reception took place. Participants enjoyed live music from local New Orleans band Rouge Krewe, food,
and drinks, and NCAN staff came on stage to lead everyone in a “cheers to 30 years” followed by a confetti drop.
Day Two
Tuesday, September 9, began with what is fast becoming an NCAN Conference tradition: the fun run, which was led this year by NCAN’s Catherine Brown and Molly Rothschild. After breakfast, CoPilot, the National Student Clearinghouse, and College Board led demo sessions, while Black leaders and Black-led organizations hosted a conscious inclusion
meet-up for networking and dialogue.
Moderated by NCAN Board President Catalina Cifuentes, panelists unpacked the most pressing challenges confronting academic institutions today, including threats to access, opportunity, academic freedom, and student support. They shared powerful insights
and real-world strategies aimed at defending the role higher education plays in social mobility and democratic engagement, from litigation and policy reform to public education campaigns and democratic engagement.
Other day two programming included roundtable discussions focused on data, policy, and postsecondary success, and sessions on supporting students with undiagnosed learning differences, career pathways for undocumented students, and boosting FAFSA completion.
At lunch, NCAN presented our Partner of the Year and Professional of the Year Awards to CareerSpring, based in Houston, TX, and Dr. Jorge Torres of the Compton Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA), respectively.
Lunch was immediately followed by an NCAN Conference favorite: our Lightning Talks. Ryan Fewins-Bliss, Executive Director at the Michigan College Access Network; Gaby Pacheco, President and CEO of TheDream.US; and Mia Gonzales Washington,
Director of the New Orleans College and Career Attainment Network. These three leaders confronted the political and social forces shaping postsecondary attainment as well as shared courageous stories and strategies from the field.
The afternoon was dedicated to additional concurrent sessions which attendees could choose from, including:
NCAN Presents - Beltway Buzz: Federal policy news and updates from the nation’s capital
How Child Savings Accounts in California Are Expanding College Access and Equity: This session explored how CSAs (child savings accounts) are opening doors to postsecondary attainment, especially among low- and middle-income students
Day Three
The final day of #NCAN2025 began with three spotlight sessions focused on diverse topics: an update on the FAFSA from staff at the Office of Federal
Student Aid (FSA), how to incorporate labor market information into college and career advising, and the effects Hurricane Katrina had on students’ postsecondary opportunities in New Orleans.
At theclosing plenary, moderator Stephanie Joncas, Social Impact Partnership Manager at Equitable, was joined by students Ravien Burns, a graduate of Dillard University (New Orleans, LA); Lucas Estrada, a student at Loyola University of New Orleans, and Alyssa Delgado, an alumna of Delgado Community College (New Orleans, LA). The discussion focused on the challenges these students were facing in their educational journeys, what keeps them going, and how programs and practitioners can help support their goals and keep other students moving forward in their postsecondary journeys.
NCAN would like to thank all our members, conference attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, staff, and vendors for making this year’s event a success! We know that many of you traveled far to participate, and we are grateful for your efforts. We’ll see you
next year, October 5-7, for our 2026 National Conference in Las Vegas, NV.
Want to relive #NCAN2025? Check out the photos here.
All photos in this article are by Anthony LaMothe.
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