NCAN's State Policy Priorities

Higher education remains unaffordable for many students across the country, and many families and students today are shouldering a greater proportion of the financial burden when it comes to covering the cost of attendance.

By investing in need-based aid, states can support students who wish to pursue education after high school but may not have the financial means to do so.

States provide over $14 billion annually in financial aid, giving them significant influence over the affordability landscape. A large and growing body of research shows that need-based financial aid increases college persistence. However, need-based grant funding is not always distributed in ways that will maximize postsecondary attainment. Students benefit when state financial aid programs are: 

• Generous: Covers costs above and beyond tuition and fees and structured as a first dollar program to allow Pell-eligible students to use their federal grant aid for living expenses.
• Targeted: Available to students from low-income backgrounds and those for whom the price tag stands in their way of pursuing a degree.
• Streamlined and Simplified: Where programs are consolidated and easy-to-access with straightforward and clear eligibility requirements.

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) recommends that states:

• Implement a first-dollar program that covers all tuition and fees before applying federal or other state grant aid.
• Allow for federal need-based aid (including the Pell Grant) and state need-based aid programs beyond “free” college to cover non-tuition and fee expenses included in the full cost of attendance. 
• Provide aid to dependent and independent students of any age, enrolled full and half-time, in associate and bachelor’s degree programs. 
• Set a lifetime eligibility limit no shorter than 150% of the degree length. 
• Allow students to access state financial aid by completing the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, without an additional application. 
• Consolidate state financial aid programs and align their rules and requirements for obtaining and maintaining financial aid with those of federal grants.
• Do not require students to navigate complex rules that vary by program to maintain financial aid. 
• Do not impose additional requirements, such as minimum GPAs (beyond standard academic progress, SAP), criminal background checks, and/or community service requirements, for obtaining or maintaining awards. 

Additional Resources

• NCAN report: Features of Effective State Financial Aid Programs
• National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs (NASSGAP): NASSGAP conducts an annual survey that illustrates the trends and current levels of state aid. The reports are available here, which detail the amount of need-based aid awarded by state and nationally.
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA): NASFAA has an interactive tool that directs users to state aid program web sites.
• State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO): Investigating the Impacts of State Higher Education Appropriations and Financial Aid

State funding is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to increasing the accessibility and affordability of higher education. Early data shows that states increased spending on higher education by 4.3% in fiscal year 2025 and topped $100 billion for the fourth year in a row, providing an estimated $129 billion in total. This is a positive trend, after years of underinvestment.

The National College Attainment Network's (NCAN's) Affordability Gap research shows that nationally, fewer than half of all public community colleges and only around 1/3rd of public bachelor’s-granting institutions are affordable for students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds. Tuition at public colleges depends on what states allocate for higher education, with students paying more when state investment falls or fails to keep pace with inflation. The unpredictability of state budget processes can also make it difficult for students to budget for the cost of college and risks negatively impacting college persistence.

In the wake of recent cuts to social safety net programs and education spending at the federal level, it is imperative that states maintain, and wherever possible, increase funding for public postsecondary education. State support will ensure that students are better able to access and complete a college degree or credential. 

NCAN recommends that states:

• Maintain or increase the proportion of state budgets dedicated to operational support for public colleges. 
• Pass a budget each year without undue delay. 
• Announce changes to tuition on a timeline that allows institutions and students to respond. 

Additional Resources

• NCAN blog: Higher Ed Funding Up, Student Share Down
• Urban Institute: Impact of State Higher Education Finance on Attainment
• State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO)
  • SHEEOproduces an annual report on State Higher Education Finance, which contextualizes the state of funding in states and the consequences of public policy made by state legislatures.
  • In 2022, SHEEO examined the state policies and procedures that influence the setting of the tuition rates, fees, and financial assistance in each state.
• Education Commission of the States (ECS)
  • 50-State Comparison: State Policies on Postsecondary Tuition Setting, Capping and Freezing
  • State of the States 2025: Governors' Top Education Priorities

Dual enrollment has been gaining steam as a policy and practice across the country for years, driven by a desire to improve both persistence rates and affordability. A growing body of research suggests that participation in dual enrollment programs is linked to increased grade point average, total earned college credits, college enrollment, degree attainment, while decreasing time to graduation and total semesters enrolled.

There are many models for dual enrollment, which vary widely across states and school districts. Programs differ in eligibility requirements, course delivery, the catalog available to students, funding structures, and the strength of partnerships between K-12 and higher education institutions. As states continue to expand these opportunities, keeping affordability, credit transferability, and access at the forefront will be essential to ensuring that dual enrollment improves outcomes for all students, leading to greater persistence, lower costs of attendance, and reduced time to completion.

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) recommends that states offer dual enrollment opportunities that:

• Are free for students
• Allow students to earn college credit that reduces the time to attain a degree
• Exposes students to postsecondary curricula

Additional Resources

• Aspen Institute
  • Dual Enrollment Assessment Tool (for colleges and universities)
  • The Dual Enrollment Playbook
• Bellwether: Sharing the Cost - Insights from States Funding Dual Enrollment to Expand Access
• Community College Research Center
  • State Findings: Dual Enrollment Student Outcomes
  • Understanding Dual Enrollment
• Gates Foundation: Dual Enrollment (learning deck) 
• Jobs for the Future
  • Dual Transformation in Dual Enrollment
  • Policies and Practices that Support Dual Enrollment Innovation

Direct, or “guaranteed”, admissions policies are rapidly expanding among states, communities, and higher education institutions. These policies aim to streamline the application process for students, and, as a result, encourage those who hadn’t previously considered a college degree to apply. As estimated 400,000 first-generation and low- and middle-income students across 28 states received direct admissions offers for the 2024-25 school year.

Early research on direct admissions suggests that these policies can influence likelihood of enrollment and completion. An analysis conducted for the Common App’s direct admissions program found that direct admissions increases students' likelihood to apply to college, especially among students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation students, and students of color. Other studies have found that direct admissions improves college enrollment.

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) recommends that states:

• Streamline or minimize the application process for students to the greatest extent possible, including by waiving application fees.
• Inform students that they have met the admissions criteria for in-state colleges and universities.
• Provide students with an estimated financial aid award so they can see how much they will have to pay to attend.

Additional Resources

• NCAN: Direct Admissions Best Practices
• State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO): Direct Admissions - Policies and Practices to Improve Access

States recognize how important it is for prospective postsecondary students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA completion is strongly correlated with positive postsecondary student outcomes, such as enrollment after high school graduation and persistence. Students who are eligible for aid, but do not complete the FAFSA each year, leave money on the table that could be used toward furthering their education.

By adopting a "universal" FAFSA completion policy – making the financial aid form a requirement for graduation and supporting students through the process – states can promote one of the important indicators of postsecondary enrollment among their high school seniors.

Several states have adopted such a policy, and the evidence points to clear results. Louisiana, the first state to implement a requirement, saw increases in FAFSA filing rates, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment. Other early adopters, including Texas, Alabama, and Illinois, also saw increases in FAFSA completion for high school seniors. (While other states have universal FAFSA policies in recent years, Louisiana has since repealed its policy.)

States looking to increase FAFSA completion and adopt a universal policy should consider the following set of principles. 

NCAN recommends that states

• Require FAFSA completion for high school graduation through legislative or other policy vehicles.
• Include a robust opt-out system for students who are unable to access parental financial information, have undocumented parents, or whose parents allow them to abstain. 
• Provide (at minimum) one full FAFSA cycle from the bill passing, or the item being administratively added to a list of requirements before the actual requirement takes effect. 
• Make the change administratively, if high school graduation requirements do not live in statute. 
• If not already in place, build and provide robust training and support through school counselors and/or college access advisers to ensure students are helped through the process. 
• Provide regular data-sharing on completion to high schools and community-based organizations to allow for better-targeted FAFSA completion efforts.

Learn more here.

Students brought to the United States as children deserve the chance to complete their education, yet these students face unique barriers to college access and affordability. A handful of states have barred undocumented students from attending public institutions and recent legal challenges threaten their ability to receive state financial aid in states where they have previously been eligible. A larger list of states require this student population to pay out-of-state tuition despite graduating from high schools in that state.

Across the country, National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members are working to uphold policies that permit undocumented students to attend public institutions and to pay the same tuition rates as their in-state peers. Educators, counselors, and advocates play a critical role in ensuring these students have the support they need to continue pursuing postsecondary opportunities. NCAN has work closely with partner organizations to develop best practices for supporting undocumented and other immigrant-origin students, as well as those from mixed-status families. 

NCAN recommends that states:

• Permit undocumented students to attend public institutions.
• Allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.
• Provide state financial aid to those who are eligible, regardless of immigration status.

Additional Resources

NCAN

• FAFSA Guidance for Mixed Status Families (updated October 27, 2025)
• Moving Forward Together: Best Practices for Advising Undocumented Students

EdTrust

• Higher Education Access and Success for Undocumented Students  

Higher Ed Immigration Portal

• Tuition and Financial Aid for Undocumented Students
• K-12 Advising Guide (created in partnership with NCAN and Teach for America)

TheDream.US

• What to Know When Advising Undocumented Students