This message was sent to NACAC members on March 4, 2026
As I read the news each day, I feel a sense of heaviness. I know you feel it, too.
Violence and political conflict are affecting our members, students, and campus communities around the world and here at home. We are working in some of the most challenging times of our profession.
We’re seeing constant attacks on higher education. Our country’s institutions of higher learning are fighting to defend what’s at their core: academic freedom; funding to research; the ability to enroll diverse students. They’re fighting to defend decades of precedent in admission processes that have opened doors to postsecondary education for countless students.
We’re seeing systemic dismantling of federal education. The U.S. Department of Education is being picked apart and funding for education programs hangs in the balance, even as the Pell Grant now faces an $11.5 billion shortage.
Yet, I want to assure you: NACAC is in the fight, and our advocacy is making a difference. Here are a few ways we’ve recently made an impact.
- We helped preserve funding for critical federal education programs in the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill. We successfully urged Congress to reject the proposed funding cuts for programs related to college access, affordability, and student success, such as the Pell Grant, TRIO, GEAR UP, work-study, and more. Through our participation in the U.S. for Success Coalition, we also helped secure funding for Title VI, Fulbright-Hays programs, and other educational and cultural exchange programs.
- We helped ease the new federal data reporting requirements of institutions. Institutions no longer must report the sex of applicants and admitted students in their data — a previous unrealistic requirement of the IPEDS Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS).
- We provided ongoing clarity for institutions navigating diversity, equity, and inclusion. Federal guidance and enforcement are evolving, creating confusion for institutions. NACAC and partners provide regular analyses to help institutions understand what is lawful.
These efforts are led by Sean Robins, NACAC’s director of advocacy, who has a regular presence on Capitol Hill. Sean regularly meets with the Department of Education, and recently testified in front of the Maryland House of Representatives to help pass direct admission legislation in the state. He also is leading NACAC’s National Advocacy Day efforts on March 17, when NACAC members will speak with lawmakers at the Capitol about our priorities. I am proud of Sean’s efforts to position our association as one of influence and to elevate the priorities of our members and the students we serve during this critical moment in our history.
Amid these challenges, here’s what else is constant: NACAC advocacy. You can follow along on NACAC social media platforms and on our Advocacy in Action webpage, which is updated daily and includes ways you can get involved. I also encourage you to register for our monthly Community Conversation series, where you will hear timely policy and legal developments impacting postsecondary access and admission from Sean and Art Coleman, founding partner at EducationCounsel.
It’s important to recognize that we have not done this work alone. We have partnered with many higher education association peers and advocacy organizations to fight for you, students, and institutions. You have also been an important part of this journey. Thousands of NACAC members have used our resources to write to their representatives and to advocate in their communities. NACAC members also have shared their experiences with us — informing our advocacy and helping to educate policymakers on the impacts of legislation. We encourage you to continue sharing your stories with us through our ongoing “Impact of U.S. Federal Actions” survey, and to use our recently updated Advocacy Toolkit to advocate in your own communities.
I know this work can feel daunting, and progress may not come as quickly as we’d like. But know this: Your voice matters, and as long as you’re in the fight with us, together, we can continue to make a difference. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
NACAC remains your chief advocate. Forward, together, we will move.
Sincerely,
Angel B. Pérez, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
National Association for College Admission Counseling