Student Aid Alliance Gears Up

NAICU Washington Update

March 23, 2011

Anticipating a rough budgetary ride ahead, the Student Aid Alliance (SAA) has jumped into action.  NAICU and the American Council on Education co-chair the coalition, which includes 62 higher education organizations.

The SAA unveiled a new website (studentaidalliance.org) on March 21 to help students and higher education leaders make the case for protecting Pell Grants and other core federal student aid programs from drastic budget cuts.  On the site, student aid advocates will find the most recent letters sent to the Hill, talking points, background materials, federal student aid data by state and congressional district, as well as a guide to working with the media.

The site also highlights student success stories; integrates the Student Aid Alliance's new Facebook page and Twitter account; and provides a user-friendly advocacy center for contacting members of Congress.

Since the start of the new Congress, NAICU and other alliance members have been busy meeting with legislators and key staffers on both sides of the aisle to remind them of the importance of federal student aid in creating opportunities for students to advance themselves and the nation in these challenging times.  NAICU-produced data sheets with federal student aid funding by state and congressional district have been an effective resource for these conversations, and continue to be well received by policymakers.

Proactive advocacy efforts by NAICU member presidents and other campus leaders are underway. In addition to reaching out to elected officials personally, many colleges and state associations are creating advocacy websites and social media networks, and placing op-eds to generate heightened awareness of and support for federal student aid funding.

NAICU has compiled examples of campus advocacy efforts to serve as idea starters for college leaders, and will continue to expand this list in the coming weeks and months.

Since its founding in the mid-1990s, the the alliance's basic message has not changed, while its advocacy tools have evolved dramatically.  As an example, nearly a third of the visitors to the SAA's action center in the past month have been referred by a Facebook user.  More than 3,000 letters were sent via the action center to Senate and House members during the recent continuing resolution debate.

NAICU President and SAA Co-chair David L. Warren is currently calling upon SAA member associations to help finance further enhancement of the coalition's advocacy tools, and members are responding to the call.

Veterans of the federal budget wars know that it is often a frenetic process with frequent calls to action.  The Student Aid Alliance leaders realize that, no matter what tools they may employ, success ultimately will come from those on the nation's campuses who can most convincingly deliver the message that the federal budget should not be balanced on the backs of students.

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For more information, contact:

Stephanie Giesecke, stephanie@naicu.edu  - Legislative affairs
Bo Newsome, bo@naicu.edu  - Grassroots advocacy
Tony Pals, tony@naicu.edu  - Media relations/online communication