By Faith Farley, Government Relations Intern, AACRAO
My name is Faith Farley, and I’m a third-year student at The George Washington University studying International Affairs and Political Science. I have been working at AACRAO for almost a year, serving as an intern for the association’s Government Relations team, and last year, I attended AACRAO's Annual Congressional Hill Day. I was a little nervous but also very excited to go up to Capitol Hill and talk about pressing issues in higher education that directly impacted me and my friends.
Going up to The Hill to advocate on behalf of AACRAO was nerve-racking since I had only been with the association for a month. I felt unprepared and unqualified to go to The Hill and speak with staffers who were experts, and I was concerned that I would say something wrong and make a fool of myself…and AACRAO. Although these nerves were definitely a part of my initial Hill Day experience, they ultimately proved how much I cared about what I was advocating for. However, I was relieved to learn that I would be paired up with another AACRAO advocate for my meetings.
Preparing for the Big Day
The day before heading up to the Capitol, all the advocates attended a full-day informational session regarding AACRAO’s stances on issues, expectations for congressional meetings, and presentations on higher education issues from industry experts. Advocates were provided with helpful one-pagers that summarized our talking points and offered helpful statistics that we could use during our discussions with staffers.
During these presentations, I met the other Hill Day advocates; everyone was super friendly and welcoming. I was lucky to be paired with Cathy Punchello from Thomas Edison State University in New Jersey for congressional meetings. With all the preliminary information out of the way, I was ready to head up to The Hill bright and early the next day.
Advocating at The Hill
I met up with Cathy, and we took an Uber to The Hill. Even though I live in Washington, D.C., going to the Capitol building and walking around was awe-inspiring. Getting to see where our elected representatives work and participating in advocacy made me appreciate the U.S. system of democracy. While at first, I was a little intimidated to talk with staffers on The Hill, all of them, regardless of political affiliation, were incredibly accommodating, engaged, and interested in hearing AACRAO’s concerns and requests regarding upcoming legislation. Cathy is Vice Provost and University Registrar at her institution, and I got the sense that the staffers valued her particular perspective as an expert practitioner in their home states.
Some issues we discussed with staffers were:
Doubling the Pell Grant Amount
Short-Term Pell Grants
Implementing Reverse Transfer Legislation
The Impact of the 2023 FAFSA Rollout
Did you know that AACRAO supports doubling the amount of Pell Grant Money students receive from $7,395 to $13,000? These funds are crucial to helping low- and moderate-income students pursue higher education. When we talked about doubling Pell with staffers, most were incredibly receptive and discussed what legislation their office had worked on to try to increase Pell Grant funding.
Another topic that resonated with staffers was Reverse Transfer, and we met with representatives from New Jersey. AACRAO strongly supports reverse transfer legislation, which allows students with uncompleted degrees from four-year institutions to have those credits count at two-year institutions. This makes some learners eligible to receive certifications or degrees.
Did you know that in New Jersey, 63,832 individuals are eligible to receive credentials or degrees based on the credits they’ve already completed through reverse transfer? This number shocked staffers and encouraged them to learn more about reverse transfer from us and research the bipartisan and bicameral bills that were on the floor at the time.
Are You the Next Hill Day Advocate? Apply by April 25
These conversations demonstrated the impact that AACRAO’s Hill Day advocacy can have on the legislative system. Consider visiting AACRAO’s Advocacy Center, where you can easily send a letter to your representatives supporting Double Pell and the Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act. Between our congressional meetings, Cathy and I got Gallery Passes to watch the House in session, which gave us a glimpse into the legislative process.
Even with some initial nerves as a first-time Hil Day advocate, my experience was incredibly rewarding, personally and professionally. I urge anyone, whether this is their first or fifth time doing Hill Day, to apply to participate in this experience. Hill Day applications open on March 18 and close on April 25. You can apply here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the AACRAO GR Team.