AACRAO Congressional Hill Day

AACRAO Hill Day allows members to engage with congressional offices to discuss your work and share your perspective, as practitioners, on how policy impacts the work you do daily. AACRAO Advocates discuss the association's legislative priorities, including:

• Higher Education Act reauthorization policy priorities
• Support for the #DoublePell campaign
• Updates to FERPA
• Advancing reverse transfer practices
• Protecting Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients

Advocates also participate in online training in preparation for the meetings, including AACRAO's on-demand Federal Legislative Process and Advocacy 101 course. The course, which is open and free to all AACRAO members, provides a breakdown of the federal legislative process, helpful insights on how to set up and prepare for meetings with your representatives, and tools to help State & Regional organizations engage with both state and federal issues while remaining in federal compliance. Other online and in-person training sessions cover:

• What to Expect for Hill Day – highlighting what to expect during meetings with Congressional representatives and reviewing AACRAO's legislative priorities
• Mock Zoom Interviews – demonstrating the typical flow of a meeting with Congressional staffers and how to address issues that may arise during those conversations
• Panel Discussion with Congressional Staffers – Hill staffers answer frequently asked questions and provide advice for both first-time and seasoned advocates
• Insights into Higher Education – offering advocates a chance to hear from an individual from the press on some of the latest issues affecting college campuses

Hill Day 2023 will be held in person in Washington, DC on Thursday, June 22 in tandem with the AACRAO Leadership Meeting, which takes place June 23 – 25, 2023. Hill Day participation is not limited to leadership meeting attendees. This year's in-person Hill Day will be a full-day event. Selected advocates should plan to arrive the evening of Wednesday, June 21.  AACRAO will coordinate and cover up to two nights of lodging for the event. 

Everyone is encouraged to apply. In particular, members from the states represented on the House and Senate education committees are strongly encouraged to apply. The states included are: