As we begin a new year, I am drawn to the idea of courage. I say courage rather than bravery, because bravery implies fearlessness. Courage, on the other hand, is what enables us to face adversity and continue moving forward, even when we are discouraged
and exhausted.
Courage is one of the National College Attainment Network's (NCAN's) values for a reason; it takes courage to try and fix ingrained, inequitable systems, more so now than ever. Thankfully, finding courage is made easier by the example of our students
who embody courage every day simply by taking the enormous step of being the first in their family to go to college. Students like Ravien Burns, a graduate of Dillard University; Lucas Estrada, a student at Loyola University of New Orleans; and Alyssa
Delgado, an alumna of Delgado Community College, who all spoke so eloquently during the closing plenary at last year’s Conference about how important support from NCAN members was to get them to and through college.
When the students we serve show so much courage, the only option is to stand right beside them, no matter how challenging that might be.
In the face of government actions that say “you’re not welcome” and an onslaught of messages that college is not worth it, first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority students are choosing college, and doing so in record numbers.
Early data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows that enrollment is up almost 2.5%. Perhaps most importantly, we are seeing continued enrollment growth from
underrepresented and low-income students. For example, students from neighborhoods with the lowest average income are up by almost 8%.
Students from families with the fewest resources know that the road to economic stability and security runs through college.
Enrollment increases do not happen in a vacuum. As our students display courage in showing up, we have worked hard to smooth the path for them.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process needed a lot of smoothing, and we can finally celebrate that FAFSA simplification is working the way we hoped!
Every NCAN member should be immensely proud of the collective work to help students navigate the past two years and of making 2025 an easier year for FAFSA completion.
After more than a decade of effort, the high school class of 2026 is on track for a record FAFSA completion rate. This year’s FAFSA tracker shows that the high school class of 2026 is 11 percent ahead of 2023, the last year FAFSA launched on time.
Increasing enrollment and record FAFSA completions undermine the idea that higher education is facing an enrollment cliff. There may be a declining supply of students from groups that colleges have previously relied on to fill their classes, but that
should make colleges work harder to recruit and support the students that we serve. The need for colleges to think differently about recruitment and effective support is what Bill DeBaun focused on in his piece on this issue in US News and World.
Defending Pell from cuts this year means that recruitment efforts are supported by robust financial aid. The successful defense of Pell funding, along with FAFSA simplification, meant almost 700,000 more Pell eligible FAFSA applicants for the 2025-26
academic year: a 14% increase.
Finally, as we head into the new year, NCAN is working on long-term strategic planning to ensure that we have a vision for the future of the organization, our role in supporting you as our members and the students we all serve. Top of mind is how to continue
effectively advocating for students and helping our members do the same.
In our planning, we will consider how to help members carefully and thoughtfully engage with new ideas in college access and advising, like AI and direct admissions. We also hope to shape the college value conversation—pulling it back from such negative
territory—so our students get an accurate portrayal of the value of a college education.
It is so easy to let the urgent crowd out the important, even in the best of times, and we want to avoid that impulse. We also know how hard it is to find time for long-term planning and deep thinking when we—and all of you—are putting out a new fire
every day.
Even as we fight the daily fires, we know that either in a mid-term course correction, or a new administration, new policy and practice ideas will be needed to ensure the students we serve get the support they need to succeed. And let’s face it; the higher
education system was far from perfect. So, we want to take the time to engage in the long-term thinking needed to ground our work in what is effective, not just what we have available to put out the latest fire.
Where able, we encourage you all to think about what comes next and share those ideas with us. Part of thinking ahead includes considering how to support and elevate the great work going on at the state level, especially work led by our members.
I also want to thank the funders who make our work possible. We are deeply grateful for funders—long-time supporters and new—who make this work possible even as it feels the ground is shifting under our feet. I am also personally grateful for the advice,
counsel, and support of NCAN’s Board of Directors. Board members’ contributions to our work are often unseen, but they make us better in more ways I can count.
Finally, we are so grateful to all of you. NCAN is its members, and we know just how hard you are working to help students and families navigate the road to college every day.
NCAN will continue to be a trusted source of information, training, and support for members. Once again, in 2025, you were challenged to keep the faith and do the hard work or heart work as my colleagues often say. And once again, you delivered. Thank
you for your persistence and unwavering passion to achieve our shared missions towards equity in postsecondary attainment.
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