Advocacy Timeline
- November 2014: Alabama Possible first participates in the National College Attainment Network’s (NCAN) annual #Thankful4Pell campaign, sharing stories about how the Pell grant has positively impacted Alabama students.
- March 2019: Three students from Northwest–Shoals Community College join Alabama Possible in Washington, D.C., to advocate for increased funding for need-based aid as part of NCAN’s Hill Day.
- March 2020: Alabama Possible and students from University of Montevallo and Auburn University travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in NCAN’s Hill Day to advocate for policies that support low-income and first-generation college students. Students and staff speak with congressional staff about the importance of investing in the Pell grant.
- July 2020: While the pandemic limits travel, Alabama Possible joins NCAN for Virtual Advocacy Week to meet with congressional representatives and to advocate for the Pell grant to be doubled in an effort to restore its purchasing power.
- October 2020 – October 2021: Alabama Possible is selected for NCAN’s Advocacy Fellowship. Staff work alongside two Alabama college students at The University of Alabama and Northwest–Shoals Community College to elevate student voice and engage in postsecondary education policy and advocacy at the federal level.
- March 2021 and 2022: Alabama Possible calls on Congress to #DoublePell by joining virtual Hill Day.
- March 2023: NCAN’s Hill Day resumes in-person meetings with congressional representatives. Alabama Possible sends two staff members to participate in advocacy for need-based aid.
Advocacy Wins
- March 2022: President Biden calls for doubling the Pell grant by 2029 to support students from low- and middle-income households.
- March 2022: Bipartisan legislation increases the maximum Pell grant by $400 for the 2022-23 award year, the largest single boost to Pell in more than a decade.
- December 2022: A bipartisan federal funding agreement increases the maximum Pell grant another $500 for the 2023-24 award year, a historic investment that will benefit millions of students.