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Policy

We advocate for equitable financial aid and higher education systems.

Policy

Policy Priorities


The policy team works with students, practitioners, and uAspire advisors to identify challenges students face accessing financial aid and develop advocacy priorities each year.

Policy Fellowship


Through a paid fellowship, college students build advocacy skills and influence policymakers to make higher education more affordable and equitable.

Fellows are undergraduate students in California, Massachusetts, and New York, who are Pell-eligible or have DACA or TPS status. The fellowship builds a pipeline for underrepresented voices into politics and ensures policymakers are hearing directly from those most affected by policies.

Policy Fellowship

Student Fellows

Jovita Bell
Jovita Bell

Brandeis University

Ani Chaglasian
Ani Chaglasian

UCLA

Ixchel Valencia Diaz
Ixchel Valencia Diaz

San Diego Mesa College

Eden Elfathy
Eden Elfathy

University of Massachusetts Boston

Karol Guaman-Palaguachi
Karol Guaman-Palaguachi

CUNY Queens College

Maysha Meherin
Maysha Meherin

CUNY Queens College

"We see firsthand the obstacles students across the country face affording college. We experience the problems. We know the needed solutions.”

Through a paid fellowship program, uAspire supports college students to build advocacy skills to change financial aid systems to be more equitable, simple, and transparent. uAspire’s fellowship program is designed for college students who have experienced navigating financial aid systems while pursuing their degree.

Over the course of a semester, fellows develop the knowledge and skills to work with those in power to influence policy. This includes meeting with government officials, writing and submitting press materials, and researching policy issues. 

Eligibility

Applicants must be college undergraduates who are 18+ years old. Students must be Pell Grant recipients or hold DACA/TPS status, and be full or part-time students with at least one semester of credit attending college in California, Massachusetts, or New York.

uAspire is committed to building a policy fellows cohort with diverse lived and college-attending experiences that equip our team to advance student-centered change in higher education policy. Candidates are curious about policymaking, outspoken about their ideas, passionate about making change, and committed to issues of equity in higher education!

Compensation

$750/month stipend for completion of program projects.

Applications

Applications are due October 20 at midnight, local time. 

Apply Here

Publications

A Pilot to Implement Universal Financial Aid Application Completion in California
Opportunities & Challenges of Universal FAFSA
No Way to Pay
Beyond the College Bill
Decoding the Cost of College

The Latest

Chutes and Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA

Chutes and Ladders: Falling Behind and Getting Ahead with the Simplified FAFSA
Blog
In first year, tuition-free community college program yields data

In first year, tuition-free community college program yields data
In the Media
Growing Up in Weston, MA - A Middle-Class Student’s Perspective on Legacy Admissions

Growing Up in Weston, MA - A Middle-Class Student’s Perspective on Legacy Admissions
Blog

Policy Team

Melissa Clarke
Melissa Clarke

New York Policy Director

Anika Van Eaton
Anika Van Eaton

Vice President of Policy

Parshan Khosravi
Parshan Khosravi

California Policy Director

Femi Stoltz
Femi Stoltz

Massachusetts Policy Director