Advocacy, Policy & Systems Change

Our mission is to achieve educational equity and to help students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to positively impact their communities and the world.

Policy and systems can exacerbate inequalities but can also be levers of change for equality and opportunity for students. 10,000 Degrees pairs our direct service with advocacy to create policies and systems that drive opportunity and equity for all students.

Our priorities are educational opportunity, to ensure affordability and create systems that drive student success.

Policy & Advocacy Priorities

Ensure that ALL students:

• Receive the necessary support to engage in and complete a rigorous college prep curriculum in high school
• Students receive the necessary support to navigate, apply for, and manage financial aid opportunities for low income families
• Students are aware of, understand fully and provided the opportunity to take advantage of college success policies.

National

College Affordability

• Restore the purchasing power of the Pell Grant
• Consider quality in any expansion of pell-eligible programs.
• Create Federal-State higher education partnership to mitigate the rising cost of college
• Support ALL postsecondary students in need of federal student aid, including undocumented students
• Improve and expand the impact of the Federal Work Study Program
• Further simplify the federal financial aid application process
• Improve postsecondary data
• Reduce risky private loan borrowing

California Policy

• Promote seamless opportunities for degree completion and transfer from community college to university
• Ensure college is affordable and provide a pathway for students to graduate without debt
• Preserve and expand the California Dream Act
• Make A-G the default curriculum and a high school graduation requirement
• Expand tutoring and supportive course combinations
• Preserve and expand on campus resources such as EOPS, PUENTE, etc.
• Address fiscal adequacy and ensure resource equity in K-12 schools and districts
• Support student transition from high school to college through, scholarships, 1:1 mentoring and advising, financial aid literacy to students and their families
• Improve financial aid awareness and intervention
• Expand and guarantee access to the Cal grant
• Adjust financial aid programs to include non-tuition expenses

Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton
Director of Policy & Government Relations
Email: sbeydeh.walton (at) 10000degrees.org