By Korynn Schooley, Vice President, Policy, Achieve Atlanta; and Eddy Conroy, Senior Director, Communications, NCAN.
Reading time: Five minutes
As states play an ever-larger role in higher education policy, college access organizations can meaningfully contribute to state-level changes that make it easier for students to access and pay for college. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN)
is working to provide resources to support member state-level advocacy and policy work, as well as shine a light on success stories from members.
One recent example comes from Georgia, where a major policy milestone offers a roadmap for organizations pursuing similar change.
Georgia as a Case Study: Achieve Atlanta’s Role
Achieve Atlanta helps students access, pay for, and complete college. The organization is well known for its need-based scholarship, created in part because Georgia is one of only two states without a statewide
need-based aid program. Beyond scholarships, Achieve Atlanta collaborates with community-based organizations, school districts, and colleges to provide students with college advising and wrap-around supports.
Achieve Atlanta students are progressing and graduating at rates on par with or above peers without financial barriers. Their success demonstrates what targeted aid and support can deliver—not just in Atlanta, but across Georgia. Tens of thousands of
people statewide face similar financial barriers that could be addressed through need-based aid.
Most states already provide need-based financial aid: 74% of state aid nationally is need-based. In Georgia, that figure is just 1%. Instead, Georgia directs most of its resources to merit-based programs like the HOPE Scholarship, which covers full
tuition at public institutions and partial tuition at private colleges. This imbalance has long made it difficult to advance conversations about affordability for students with financial need.
Last month, in his final State of the State address, Governor Brian Kemp (R) proposed a $325 million investment in need-based
scholarships, acknowledging that while Georgia leads the nation in merit aid, need-based support must also be a part of a college affordability solution.
Policy Change Takes Time
When asked how they went bankrupt, the central character in Hemingway’s, The Sun Also Rises replies, “two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” That is often how it feels to change public policy. Weeks, months, and often years, of steady
effort can pass, with little concrete progress to show for the work. Then, suddenly everything comes together. Governor Kemp’s announcement may appear sudden on the surface, but it reflects years of careful work.
Sometimes, especially for new or smaller organizations, it is hard to know where to start or know if it is worth engaging in policy work if time and resources are limited. In its early years, Achieve Atlanta faced similar constraints, yet took steps that
built credibility such as sharing its model and results with policymakers, writing op-eds in local papers, speaking at legislative hearings, and saying yes to external requests whenever possible. These early efforts contributed to the passage
of a bill in 2018 creating the option of a need-based aid program. The next challenge became funding the program.
A window of opportunity emerged last fall when the Georgia Senate held hearings on college affordability. Achieve Atlanta joined advocates, including fellow NCAN members College Aim and OneGoal, researchers, and students in presenting data and testimony to the Senate Study Committee on Higher Education Affordability.
After five months of hearings, the Committee issued a unanimous, bipartisan recommendation to create a state-funded need-based aid program, providing a strong foundation for Governor Kemp’s proposal.
The opportunity to make real change happen was not just good timing, it was made possible by working with dedicated partner organizations, building relationships with policy makers, and combining the stories of Georgia students struggling to pay for college
with hard data to lay the groundwork needed for eventual success.
Lessons for College Access Organizations
Every state context has its unique challenges, funding structures, and legislative processes. Even so, there are approaches that work and can be translated to other states whether the goal is a new aid program, lower tuition, or improved college counseling.
Change requires allies. Finding good partner organizations to work in coalition is vital. You cannot build those kinds of partnerships overnight; they take time, effort, and a willingness to work to build trust and rapport.
Progress is rarely perfect and often incremental. It is important to celebrate progress, even when there is more work needed to get the policy solutions right. Saying yes and being willing to compromise also builds organizational
reputation. Policymakers are more likely to champion an issue if they know you will work with them, even if you don’t agree about everything.
Find champions! Finding the right policymakers, ones who will listen, and then put in the work to help make change happen is crucial. Finding the approach that resonates with the champions you need is a key part of getting support.
Bring real people and stories with you. Data is essential, but stories give meaning. The stories of real people who will be helped by whatever change you are advocating for need to be married to the data for arguments to resonate.
Be patient and tenacious. Change takes time; sometimes you have to say the same thing repeatedly until the ideas stick. Maintaining consistency is one of the things most likely to pay dividends in the end.
For NCAN members working on state policy change, NCAN’s State Policy Resource Center offers tools, examples, and guidance. We know that many NCAN members are already in the middle of their
state policy cycle, and hope that sharing this success story and pulling the curtain back on the work that went into making it happen is helpful and encouraging.
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