Rise has led national free college advocacy campaigns that have won billions in aid for students across the country as well as student loan cancellation programs that have impacted millions of borrowers across the country.
Since 2020, Rise has partnered with key youth-led organizations in Arizona including the Arizona Students’ Association to mobilize students around student loan relief education and outreach, as well as civic engagement.
Rise was founded out of California in 2017 and since then has led winning campaigns fighting for free community college, tuition freezes, expanded student aid, and more.
Starting in 2020, Rise’s impact on Georgia has been tremendous. Rise GA’s team spearheaded our Black the Vote program, which has trained 2,000+ HBCU students and Black students at PWIs to fight voter suppression and mobilize their peers to the polls. Our student organizers have also advocated for the expansion of The Georgia Hope Scholarship, and continue to work with stakeholders to ensure Georgia students have access to a higher education.
As Rise’s second state, Michigan has been a pioneer of Rise’s free college advocacy, specifically championing the Michigan Reconnect program, which gave adults 25+ the opportunity to return to community college for free.
Rise planted its flag in Nevada in Fall 2023, kicking off with a Rise University at the UNLV to train college students to be the next generation of civic leaders. In 2024, Rise Nevada mobilized thousands of young people to the polls to build students’ political power in the BattleBorn state.
Rise North Carolina opened its doors in Fall 2023, and will host its first Rise University at North Carolina Central in Durham in January 2024 to train college students to be the next generation of civic leaders. In 2024, Rise North Carolina mobilized thousands of young people to the polls to build students’ political power.
Rise Pennsylvania has been a critical youth mobilization engine since 2020. In 2023, Rise Pennsylvania’s team engaged thousands of young voters across the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University in the November 2023 election where Temple University saw a 563% increase in youth voter turnout this cycle. In 2024, Rise mobilized thousands of young voters to the polls so that their voices would be heard at the ballot box.
Rise Wisconsin has led the charge on free college advocacy, advocating for the expansion of Bucky’s Promise Program which led to the launch of the Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program in 2023. Rise’s Wisconsin team has also been a critical piece of Wisconsin’s historic youth voter turnout in 2020, 2022, and in the Supreme Court race in early 2023.
