Policy that Rewrites Futures

Behind every policy is a student whose life is shaped by it. This is one story—and a call to action for all of us.

By Abby Diaz, student at a college in the Northeast, and Abbey Ivey, Student-Ready Strategies

On many campuses, student involvement in policy is treated more like a box to check than a genuine partnership. Meetings happen, policies get passed, and the student voice ends up as a line in the minutes rather than a force in the outcome. I have seen this happen firsthand. And even when students are included in committees, they aren’t provided with the tools, background, or authority to truly shape decisions.

Even the policies themselves can feel like locked doors. They’re written with careful legal precision, necessary for compliance, but inaccessible to the people they’re supposed to serve. Many students only learn how a policy works after it’s too late to make informed decisions.

The stakes are not theoretical. When policies are unclear or poorly communicated, and they are not student-centered, the consequences are real: a student might unexpectedly lose financial aid, face barriers to re-enrollment, or be denied the support to which they’re entitled. I know this because it happened to me.

My Story: How a Policy Misstep Almost Ended My Education

I came to college as a first-generation Latina student from a large family in New York City. I chose an upstate, very small, and rural school on purpose; I wanted a change from my normal environment, even though it meant having no family or support system for miles. I was seven hours from home, relying on myself in every possible way.

When I started, I was a high-achieving student with 21 college credits already earned from high school, a 3.7 GPA, and the expectation that I could graduate in less than four years. I was ambitious, deeply involved on campus, and committed to making the most of my time there.

But during the second semester of my freshman year, my mental health began to suffer. By sophomore year, the weight was overwhelming. I did what I thought was right: I asked for help.

Unfortunately, some professors responded in ways that made me feel my struggles were a personal shortcoming rather than a situation deserving of support. My grades slipped. My confidence wavered.

Eventually, I withdrew from some courses, hoping to regroup. Later, with my mental health provider’s help, I requested and was granted an emergency withdrawal. But no one fully explained the financial and academic consequences of that withdrawal.

That’s when I learned, too late, about the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Because I didn’t meet the SAP benchmarks, I lost part of my financial aid. Suddenly, I was working two jobs while balancing classes, leadership positions on three executive boards, and commitments to various programs and committees.

The strain was crushing. My academics suffered even more. My original graduation plan collapsed. I went from a confident 3.7 GPA student on an accelerated track to someone needing more semesters to complete my degree, and with less financial assistance. If it weren’t for a few staff members who believed my experience mattered and advocated for me, I would have dropped out.

We assume that if students can find policy documents on college websites or are present in a meeting where policy is discussed, they’re informed and empowered. But without accessible language, proactive explanation, and real influence, student involvement remains symbolic.

Advice from SRS: What Meaningful Student Involvement Could Look Like

Abby’s story is not unique, and it is why Student-Ready Strategies (SRS) encourages and supports institutions to leverage their policies to remove barriers and improve student outcomes. However, institutional policy work should not occur in a vacuum, and Abby’s experiences highlight the importance of two key institutional practices related to institutional policy capacity: soliciting diverse feedback and maintaining comprehensive communication. 

Soliciting Student Feedback about Policy

When reviewing, revising, creating, or even eliminating student-facing policy, it is essential to incorporate the voices of those most impacted by the policy: the students themselves. But as Abby noted, that engagement needs to be authentic and purposeful. Do not ask students to share their experiences or feedback related to a policy just to check a box. Rather, empower students and use their insights and perspectives to make the policy better. 

To do so in a meaningful way, institutions should consider incorporating the following into their policymaking processes: 

• Train student representatives to serve on policy committees and empower them to influence outcomes.

• Invite students to review policy documents and provide feedback on the clarity of the policy language, particularly for students who are most affected by specific policies. 

• Use your institutional data to identify policies that may be causing barriers for students, and then talk to students who have engaged with the policy to understand its real-world impact. For instance, invite student athletes and student parents to provide input on absence policies.

• Employ multiple mechanisms to solicit student feedback (e.g., surveys, focus groups, one-on-one meetings, formal meetings, etc.). 

• Close the feedback loop with students who provide input on policy and show them how their feedback was incorporated into the policy (or explain why it was not). 

Communicating with Students about Policy

Abby’s experience navigating her institution’s SAP policy underscores how essential it is for institutions to proactively communicate with students about policy. Don’t wait until a student is negatively impacted by a policy to explain what it means. Instead, institutions should consider the following:

• Identify the policies that have the potential to significantly impact a student’s college journey–like SAP–and break them down into clear, easy-to-understand terms. 

• Use clear, easy-to-understand language to create student-friendly communications collateral about the policy’s key provisions (e.g., flyers, infographics, social media posts, slide decks) and make them accessible to students and student-facing staff. 

• Ensure that there are mechanisms in place to effectively and efficiently communicate policy changes or updates to the entire campus community.  

How My Story Shapes My Purpose

Had these measures existed during my early college years, I could have addressed my mental health needs without jeopardizing my academic standing or losing crucial financial aid.

What happened to me didn’t just impact my academic journey—it shaped my career path. I came to college wanting to succeed for myself. I’ll leave determined to work in higher education, focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and student support to support others’ postsecondary success.

For me, the difference between staying in and leaving college was the intervention of people who valued my lived experience and acted on it. Imagine a higher education system where every student—not just the lucky few—has that kind of support. That’s the system I want to help build.

Policies are not neutral—they actively shape student outcomes. If you want to serve students, partner with them.