Higher education advocates are still seeking a doubling of maximum awards, or getting closer to Biden's $2,000 proposal.

Reaching struggling students before even they know they have a problem is key to "academic advocacy," an emerging high-touch advising model that prioritizes retention and completion.

College system still needs key reforms to assure all Americans have access to a post-secondary education that leads to a higher quality of life, IHEP president Mamie Voight says.

The situation is so bad that the DNC is considering disaffiliation with the national organization.