About Us
All students can achieve postsecondary success when they have the right support.
The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association with nearly 600 member organizations (click here to access the member directory) across the United States that help students prepare for, apply to, and succeed in college. NCAN member organizations touch the lives of more than 2 million students and families each year across the education, nonprofit, government, and civic sectors.
NCAN believes everyone – regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or whether their parents completed college – should have the opportunity to complete affordable, high-quality education after high school.
Students who are furthest from opportunity, including first-generation college-goers, students of color, and students experiencing poverty, often must navigate the path to and through college without adequate financial resources, guidance, or a strong college-going culture in their high schools. NCAN and its members help students overcome these barriers so they can pursue their educational goals and gain the credentials needed to embark on successful, fulfilling careers.
NCAN defines “college” as education after high school that leads to an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or other high-quality credential.
Talent is Everywhere, but Opportunity Is Not
Every student has dreams for their future. But lack of resources and discriminatory policies and practices have too often prevented many students from accessing higher education. Data on college enrollment outcomes highlight persistent opportunity gaps among different student populations.
For instance, 51% of students from low-income high schools nationally enroll in postsecondary education immediately after high school, compared to 64% of students from high-income high schools. College enrollment rates of recent high school graduates also differ by race: 95% for Asian graduates, 62% for white graduates, 59% for Black graduates, and 55% for Latino/a graduates.
These inequitable outcomes aren’t inevitable.
When students receive advising on the college admissions process, access to financial resources, and other support, more of them succeed. Students from low-income high schools served by NCAN member organizations are 20% more likely to enroll in postsecondary education directly after high school and about 38% more likely to complete a bachelor’s or associate degree within six years than students from low-income high schools nationally.
NCAN’s Three Strategies: Creating Opportunities for All Students
1. Building Network Capacity
NCAN strengthens the skills of college access and success leaders and practitioners through professional development, research, and news from the field. Members receive tools to improve their work, opportunities to share effective practices, periodic regrants for new initiatives, and insight into national trends and emerging issues.
Resources include frequent webinars, moderated peer exchanges, a comprehensive e-learning curriculum, and an annual conference with dozens of workshop sessions. NCAN’s blog and weekly newsletter keep members up to date on research, policy developments, grant opportunities, and innovative program strategies.
NCAN also consults with foundations and communities to assess college access and scholarship programs and improve postsecondary outcomes.
2. Advocating for Policy Solutions
NCAN advocates for equitable college completion by amplifying policy solutions, mobilizing members, and leveraging student voice.
NCAN develops and promotes federal and state policies such as simplifying the financial aid process, increasing need-based aid, and expanding access to public benefits for food security, income assistance, and childcare.
It is not enough to guide students around systemic barriers. We must break down those barriers through policy change so more students can complete college.
3. Supporting Systems Change
Many sectors and stakeholders have an interest in increasing postsecondary access and attainment. Across the country, NCAN convenes and supports system-level leaders to build connections, promote proven practices, and strengthen students' postsecondary advising experiences.
By connecting state agencies, networks, and other partners with evidence-based resources and opportunities to share ideas, NCAN helps advance improvements at scale. Our thought leadership inspires education leaders to adopt policies, programs, and practices that support student success.
Why College Access and Success?
Education after high school is associated with positive financial, health, and civic outcomes.
Yet many systems for accessing, affording, and succeeding in college were built to exclude some students and deprive them of a quality education.
Rising tuition costs, longstanding economic disparities, and complex college admission and financial aid processes prevent many academically prepared students from entering college. Those who do enroll often struggle to find the support and resources they need to graduate.
- 33% of white Americans over the age of 25 hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 19% of Black Americans, 16% of Latino/a Americans, and 14% of American Indian/Alaska Natives.
- 25% of students from low-income high schools obtain a bachelor’s or associate degree within six years of high school graduation, compared to 58% of students from higher-income high schools.
School counselors support students in the college application process, but there are not enough of them, and many lack adequate training on college admissions or financial aid. That’s where NCAN members come in. They help students navigate systems that weren’t designed with their success in mind.
If we want to build a country where race and income aren't factors in your success, every student must have access to affordable, quality education after high school.
History
NCAN was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1995 by nine founding members that wanted to share best practices and spread college access and success services around the country. The organization held its first National Conference in 1997 and in 2001 received a leadership gift from KnowledgeWorks Foundation to hire its first professional staff in Cleveland. In 2007, NCAN relocated to Washington, DC, to raise its national profile and add policy change to its strategies.
Year in Review
Read the full 2024-25 Year in Review blog to see NCAN's highlights in member and field engagement, thought leadership, policy and advocacy, and organizational development.
NCAN's Financial Reports
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Your donation helps NCAN continue to grow and reach more organizations with best practices, training, and communications. Working together, we will help more students gain the degrees and credentials needed to embark on successful, fulfilling careers that change lives and communities.
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