"I get countless emails on any given day, and NCAN helps point out the most relevant stories."
--EducationQuest Foundation
College Access Manager Kristin Ageton
Professional Development
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Monthly
webinars feature important updates and highlight best practices from experienced NCAN members. Members may propose their own periodic webinars co-sponsored by NCAN. Past topics include:
- FAFSA & Federal Program Updates
- Free College and Career Planning with ACT Profile
- Student Information System Review: College Forward’s CoPilot
- Khan Academy: What’s it all about and how can I use it to help my students?
- Discounted pricing and group pricing at NCAN's national conference and regional events makes professional development more affordable. More than 1,000 individuals participate in the national conference.
- Free access during 2017 to on-demand professional development on popular topics through NCAN's new e-learning platform, Fundamentals for College Access & Success Professionals.
- Monthly live member chats allow members from around the country to share information quickly and easily throughout the year. These opportunities to share with and learn from experts and peers in the college access and success field include Advisor Chats, Executive Chats and Regional and Statewide Network Chats.
Communication and Education
- Success Digest, a members-only weekly email, distills the week's most important news for you into a quick five-minute read. It's perfect to keep staff and board members up to date in this world of overflowing inboxes. Make sure to send us your current staff list so everyone in your organizations receives this valuable resource!
- Our blog features NCAN staff sharing their perspective on current college access and success "hot topics."
- NCAN publications support network growth and development.
- Practitioner toolboxes: Members learn from all files in our Advisor Toolbox and Executive Toolbox, including a variety of guidebooks and templates on topics such as advisor training, program startup and fundraising.
Advocacy
- NCAN speaks out in Washington, D.C. for low-income students for policies to protect and improve financial aid, promote public-private partnerships for college access and success, and increase information available to students about their postsecondary choices.
- We keep members informed about opportunities to educate their Congressional representatives on these vital policy issues and provide templates for localized advocacy efforts and a legislative visit guide. Check out our recent #FixFAFSA resources.
- Members can participate in NCAN's Rapid Response Policy Team or use information for local advocacy purposes.
Discounted Services
- Through our collaborative agreement with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), NCAN members can receive StudentTrackerSM services at a discount of up to 50 percent. NSC data enable college access and success programs to track student postsecondary enrollment and completion, something all programs should do regularly.
- The enterprise text messaging platform Signal Vine waives the one-time setup fees for NCAN members that sign a one-year contract (for a savings of $4,500 to $6,000). Learn more about discounted texting campaigns with Signal Vine.
Recognition
- Members get preference for competitive national conference workshop session proposals.
- NCAN shares member news, events, job postings, and hiring announcements in our electronic communications.
- Member Twitter handles are included on the NCAN Members list, which is featured on the NCAN Daily Tweet and on the NCAN homepage Twitter feed.
- Members are eligible to receive NCAN's annual Awards of Excellence, and receive a "Member of" logo to display online or print.