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NCAN Virtual Advocacy Week

NCAN Virtual Advocacy Week (April 4 -8, 2022)

NCAN's premier annual policy engagement, Virtual Advocacy Week, is just around the corner! We hope you can join us.

Virtual Advocacy Week is a coordinated opportunity for NCAN members to meet with members of Congress and their staff to share their stories and our field's policy priorities. Leading up to the event week, NCAN will provide advocacy-related professional development – direct assistance, resources, and trainings – to prepare you for congressional meetings.

All NCAN members as well as their students, alumni, and board members are encouraged to participate!

Whether you are new to advocacy or an experienced advocate, your voice is needed to help amplify federal policy solutions to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment.

Events & Plan for Virtual Advocacy Week

  • Now! NCAN members have access to brief, on-demand training modules and advocacy resources to prepare for Advocacy Week and congressional meetings. See below.
  • March 17: Preparing for Advocacy Week: Workshop (view the recording here - and slides here)
  • March 30 (at 2 PM ET): Hear from the Hill: Panel Discussion with Congressional Staffers
    • This event was off the record, and not recorded. 
  • April 4 (at 2 PM ET): Virtual Advocacy Week Kickoff (view the recording here - and slides here)

Once you've conducted your meetings, please record them via this Google form survey .

Schedule meetings with your representatives today! Here is a link to sample meeting request email language, a  meeting request tracking spreadsheet, and a contact list for members of Congress!

Save Your Spot!

Why Be a Part of Virtual Advocacy Week?

To build new skills, such as effective storytelling and developing advocacy messaging.

To broaden your knowledge of federal higher education policy.

To develop relationships with your peers and your representatives in Washington.

To help make the case for why we must rebuild our education systems for postsecondary equity. NCAN members can provide powerful perspectives in informing federal policymakers. Especially recently, NCAN members and our students have stepped up to collectively engage in college access, affordability, and success policy discussions.

For more information, check out this recap of NCAN's 2021 Virtual Advocacy Week.

What Policies Are We Advocating For?

In conducting virtual congressional meetings, we will: 1) elevate our students' stories and 2) advocate for stronger investment in the Pell Grant program and other actions Congress can take to help ensure that race and income aren't factors in students’ ability to access, afford, and attain a college degree.

The pandemic has created uncertainty among prospective college students, and we have seen declines in rates of FAFSA completion and postsecondary enrollment. For example, NCAN estimates that 2021 high school graduates left $3.75 billion in Pell Grants unclaimed by not completing the FAFSA.

The inequitable outcomes that students experience are also tied to affordability challenges. According to our research, only 41% of public community colleges and 23% of public four-year colleges were affordable for a student who received the average Pell Grant in 2018-19.

While there have been important strides on proposals to address barriers to access and success for our students, we must continue to relay our contributions, experiences, and perspectives to federal policymakers.

Click here for more information on NCAN's federal policy priorities.

Questions?

Please contact Raymond AlQaisi, NCAN's senior manager of policy and advocacy, at raymond@ncan.org.

On-Demand Training Modules & Advocacy Resources

Training Modules:
Advocacy Material:
Advocacy Resources: