Big Ten on the Hill Recap!
Three times a year, Big Ten universities convene through the Association of Big Ten Students (ABTS) to collaborate on national student advocacy. The Washington, D.C. conference is uniquely impactful because it enables direct engagement with federal legislators on issues affecting students across all member institutions, not just Penn State University.
Penn State’s delegation this year included Student Body President (myself), ABTS Liaison and Panhellenic Representative Lindsay Friedman, Chair of Campus Operations Madar Samakab, and Director of Budget Jaden Quinones. We attended March 21st to 24th!
We arrived Saturday and began with briefings on conference structure, followed by president and liaison meetings. Sunday focused on strategy, while peer institutions emphasized DEI and free speech, our delegation identified federal student aid, particularly Pell Grant sustainability, as our top priority. We participated in committee sessions, received guidance from the Big Ten Federal Relations team, and attended an advocacy training led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). We split up into breakout discussions and covered topics such as academic freedom, immigration, free speech, DEI, and federal aid.
Our advocacy strategy for Capitol Hill was structured and role-specific: the person from the delegation whose district we were talking to lead introductions, I framed the policy issue, Lindsay presented supporting data, Jaden shared his Pell Grant experience, and Madar supplemented as needed. Our main ask going into these meetings was support on H.R. 1666, Pell Grant Sustainability Act. The Pell Grant Sustainability Act is a bill that aims to make sure Pell Grants do not run out of funding so students can continue receiving financial aid. It helps protect and potentially expand this support so more low and middle income students can afford college.
On Monday, we met with:
Legislative staff for Chris Smith (NJ-04), who expressed support for Pell Grants
Legislative staff for Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), noting his co-sponsorship of student loan legislation
Legislative staff for Julia Brownley (CA-26), who has supported Pell Grant appropriations
Legislative staff for Dave McCormick (PA), who emphasized federal funding pathways tied to workforce development
On Tuesday, we concluded with:
Legislative staff for George Latimer (NY-16), a strong advocate for the Pell Grant Sustainability Act and supports expanded Pell funding in FY26-27
Takeaways from ABTS:
Federal student aid, particularly Pell Grant expansion, is a unifying and urgent issue across institutions
Direct legislative engagement is extremely impactful to ask for tangible change
Offices respond most strongly to a combination of data, personal narrative, and clear policy asks
The Big Ten on the Hill experience reinforced the importance of coordinated, informed advocacy at the federal level. Our delegation not only elevated Penn State student needs but contributed to a broader, collective push for equitable access to higher education funding nationwide!
