(David DelPoio Photography / College Visions)

All students can achieve postsecondary success when they have the right support.

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association with nearly 600 member organizations across the United States that help students prepare for, apply to, and succeed in college. NCAN member organizations touch the lives of more than 2 million students and families each year. They span the education, nonprofit, government, and civic sectors.

NCAN believes everyone – regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or whether their parents completed college – should have the opportunity to complete affordable, high-quality education after high school.

Students who are furthest from opportunity, including first-generation college-goers, students of color, and students experiencing poverty, often must navigate the path to and through college without adequate financial resources, guidance, or a strong college-going culture in their high schools. NCAN and its members help students overcome this lack of support so they can pursue their educational goals and gain the credentials needed to embark on successful, fulfilling careers that change lives and communities.

NCAN defines “college” as education after high school that leads to an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or other high-quality credential.

Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

Every student has dreams for their future. But lack of resources and discriminatory policies and practices have too often prevented many students from accessing higher education. Data on college enrollment outcomes continue to highlight persistent opportunity gaps among different student populations.

For instance, 51% of students from low-income high schools nationally enroll in postsecondary education immediately after high school, compared to 64% of students from high-income high schools.

College enrollment rates of recent high school graduates also differ by race: 95% for Asian graduates, 62% for white graduates, 59% for Black graduates, and 55% for Latino/a graduates.

These inequitable outcomes aren’t inevitable.

When students receive advising on the college admissions process, access to financial resources, and other support, more of them succeed. Students from low-income high schools served by NCAN member organizations are 20% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education directly after high school and about 38% more likely to complete a bachelor’s or associate degree within six years than students from low-income high schools nationally.

NCAN’s three strategies: We can create opportunities for all students.

NCAN helps students access and succeed in college in three ways described below.

1. Building Network Capacity

NCAN bolsters the skills and competencies of college access and success leaders and practitioners through professional development, news from the field, and research. Members receive tools to improve and grow, opportunities to share and learn effective practices, periodic regrants for new initiatives, and insight into national trends and emerging issues for students.

Professional development resources include frequent webinars, moderated peer exchanges, a comprehensive e-learning curriculum, and an annual conference with dozens of workshop sessions. NCAN’s blog and weekly newsletter keep members up to date on the latest research, policy developments, grant opportunities, and innovative program strategies.

NCAN is also the industry leader in consulting on special projects with foundations and communities to assess their college access and scholarship programs and improve postsecondary outcomes,

2. Advocating for Policy Solutions

NCAN advocates for equitable college completion rates by amplifying a range of policy solutions, mobilizing members, and leveraging student voice. Our members and students are a powerful, authentic constituency in the national higher education policy conversation.

NCAN develops and promotes proven federal and state policies, such as simplifying the financial aid process, increasing need-based aid, and allowing students to access public benefits for food security, income assistance, and childcare.

It is not enough to guide students around systemic barriers. We must break down those barriers through policy change to enable many more students to complete college.

3. Supporting Systems Change

Many sectors and stakeholders have an interest in increasing rates of postsecondary access and attainment for students. It takes alignment, capacity, collaboration, and innovation to spur improvements. Across the country, NCAN convenes and supports system-level leaders to build connections, promote the adoption of proven practices, and increase understanding of how to strengthen students' postsecondary advising experiences at scale. By connecting state agencies, state-level networks, and other similar entities with best-in-class, evidence-based resources and a venue to compare notes and share ideas, NCAN is meeting an identified need within the field. Our thought leadership – through opinion articles, speaking opportunities, and events – inspires education leaders to take action by identifying the policies, programs, and practices they can adopt or adapt for their own students.

Why college access and success?

Education after high school is associated with positive financial, health, and civic outcomes, among others. A healthier citizenry and workforce is good, if not essential, for all of us.

But many of the systems in place for accessing, affording, and succeeding in college were built to exclude some students and deprive them of a quality education.

Issues such as rising tuition costs (combined with longstanding economic disparities) and complex college admission and financial aid processes keep many academically prepared high school seniors from entering college. Many who do enroll face additional challenges finding the support and resources they need to graduate.

• 33% of white Americans over the age of 25 hold a bachelor’s degree. The same is true for 19% of Black Americans, 16% of Latino/a Americans, and 14% of American Indian/Alaska Natives.
• 25% of students from low-income high schools obtain a bachelor’s or associate degree six years after high school graduation, while 58% of students from higher-income high schools obtain a credential.

School counselors support students in the college application process, but sadly, there aren't enough of them. In addition, surveys of school counselors routinely report that counselors do not receive adequate training about college admissions or financial aid. Students whose parents didn't attend college themselves often have nowhere to turn to get sound advice and support.

That’s where NCAN members come in. They work every day to help students navigate systems that weren’t designed with their success in mind.

If we want to build a country where race and income aren't factors in your success, every student must have access to affordable, quality education after high school.