State Advocacy: Email Template
NASFAA has developed this email template that can be modified to fit your institution/ association and topic matter. For example, this email focuses on funding and can be customized with your information before sending to your lawmakers. While these documents provide a foundation for your message, it is important to customize them to reflect your position on the proposed legislation and incorporate data/information on how the proposal will impact your specific students/institution.
Subject: Support of [State Grant Program]
Dear Lawmaker [Last Name]:
On behalf of the [State/Regional Association or Institution], we thank you for your continued support of [state] students' pursuit of a postsecondary education. [State/Regional Association] is an organization of professional financial aid administrators committed to instituting and promoting activities that provide financial aid and support to students and their families.
We write to urge you to fully fund the [state grant/loan program], as it has served a critical role in opening the doors to educational opportunities for students in [state]. These programs support [total number of postsecondary students] students at [total number of institutions] diverse institutions of higher education within our [state], including [total number of ] Federal Pell Grant recipients. During the [last aid year], the [State Grant Program] provided [$_ million] to [total number] of low-income students.
As financial aid professionals in [state], we call on you to continue to make higher education accessible and affordable. Given the range of students who benefit from the [state grant programs], it is vital that these programs receive robust and continued funding to support students in an evolving higher education landscape. We understand there are many competing priorities for the state, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but higher education is an investment with proven, long-term returns for both individual students and our state's economy. The pandemic's impact on the earnings and financial stability of students and families, particularly those who are low-income, makes the [state grant program name] more important than ever in ensuring students have the resources needed to enroll this fall.
Our organization would be delighted to answer any questions you may have or discuss this issue further. We look forward to working with you on [state grant program] funding and other postsecondary issues as the fiscal [year] budget moves forward. Thank you for all that you do for [state] students.
Sincerely,
[Your name and contact information]
Download Email Template as Word Doc