From March 31 to April 1, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) hosted a Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. On March 31, the event consisted of “a mix of knowledge and skill-building sessions” and on April 1, participants traveled to Capitol Hill to “make their voices heard, and educate their representatives in the U.S. House and Senate on time-sensitive and pressing policy issues like a fully functional Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launch, and the need for increased funding for Pell Grants and other federal student aid.”
To learn more, The Stute interviewed Michelle Elias Flores, a Clark Scholar who attended the event. Elias Flores became aware of the Leadership Summit when Clark Scholar advisor Alida McKee reached out, asking her to represent Stevens Clark Scholars at the event. “Being a first-generation student and a limited income student,” said Elias Flores, “I became very well versed in student financial aid.”
The biggest topic discussed at the event was the Pell Grant, which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) expects to have a $2.7 billion gap next fiscal year, which is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2027 if it is not addressed. Another major topic discussed was FAFSA, and efforts to ensure it is properly staffed and funded so the application can be accessible to all. As Elias Flores mentioned, “If the website is breaking all the time and there are no callers at the call center then we have a bigger problem on our hands.”
Elias Flores spoke positively of the skill-building sessions, too. “We actually got to learn how financial aid [works] and talk to the developers and head of the FAFSA team! It was pretty cool to hear what they had to say and made them listen to our concerns and the kind of the hidden things of what happens that we don’t know. Allegedly, there are major changes coming to the FAFSA (yes, again) that would help make it more accessible and safer for mixed status families and students with certain circumstances. I really enjoyed seeing people put them on their toes, as we all deserve transparency about financial aid and how our government handles it.”
For “Hill Day,” attendees were able to walk around Washington D.C. to talk to legal aids at the offices of senators and representatives about their thoughts on federal financial aid. Elias Flores recalled, “It was so cool and Alida and I started a senator counter where we counted how many we saw (total was 5!). I would say I am pretty good at interviews but this definitely helped me learn a new way to talk to people and discuss issues our current education system has.”
The event as a whole was informational and fostered an environment where attendees could be heard. For Elias Flores, this event was particularly meaningful, allowing her to explore her interests and make an impact. As she summarized, “I definitely want to get more involved with advocacy and support for the fight to keep federal financial aid throughout this administration and I am not backing down.”
Elias Flores encourages others to remember that financial aid “quite literally opens up doors and pathways to the middle class for many limited income families and the Pell Grant is something super important to that notion. In the U.S. there are over 7 million Pell Grant recipients and by taking this away, we’re doing a lot of damage to people’s dreams and possibility to pursue higher education. Call your representatives, tell them to support shoring up the Pell Grant by 10 billion dollars and help save the Pell Grant!”
