In March 2023, uAspire established a Student Advisory Board to help deepen our advising program's student engagement and impact. Through this paid opportunity, nine uAspire high school and college students from California, Massachusetts, and New York collaborated with uAspire’s learning and evaluation team for four months. Board members provided valuable insights and recommendations, enhancing our ability to make real-time improvements, communicate complex financial aid information, and prioritize topics that matter most to students.

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uAspire’s advocacy and coalition work for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) reform successfully advanced the passing of legislation that improves and standardizes SAP policies at California postsecondary institutions to prevent students who struggle academically from losing access to financial aid. uAspire Policy Fellow Andrea Dargo provided pivotal testimony, sharing her challenges navigating SAP policies during legislative meetings, committee hearings, and policy webinars.

By adopting a "universal" FAFSA completion policy—making the financial aid application a requirement for graduation—states can help ensure students access financial aid and postsecondary opportunities. Across uAspire and statewide coalitions, we worked to ensure that these policies prioritize the needs of underrepresented students who are most likely to face structural barriers to completing their financial aid applications.

Leveraging the lived experiences of our students, families, and advisors, uAspire advocated for student-centered universal FAFSA policies in Massachusetts and New York, supported AB 469 implementation efforts in California, and researched best practices in states with universal FAFSA policies. Through these strategic initiatives, we released two publications in 2023.