Federal government attacks on higher education are more intense, and support for colleges and universities is at greater risk, than at any previous time in four generations. Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives can protect colleges and universities and increase support at this critical time. Alumni can play an important role in asking key questions that encourage candidates and incumbents to take action.

This guide provides questions to ask candidates who want to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, as well as the incumbent Representatives and Senators who currently represent you.

After you have questioned your candidates or incumbents who are not up for re-election, please let us know what their responses were by completing this response form. Having them on the record will make it easier for us to follow up in the future.

The Questions

Question 1. Do you support academic freedom? If so, what will you do to stop

• funding cuts,

• funding decisions being made by political appointees,

• hiring and admissions mandates, and

• the attempt to make higher education accreditation political?

Question 2. Do you oppose attacks on funding for higher education that make a college education harder to afford? If so, what actions will you take to address policies that make it harder for colleges and universities to support students, including

• increased taxes on schools,

• reduced federal funding, and

• cuts to funding for minority-serving institutions?

Question 3. Do you support making higher education more affordable for students, graduates, and their families? If so, what will you do to

• fully fund the Pell Grant program and other sources of student financial aid,

• move Pell grant funding to the mandatory side of the budget, and

• restore the options for student loan debt that were available before the 2025 budget was passed?

Question 4. Do you support increasing students' success in completing higher education? If so, what will you do to ensure that colleges and universities are more affordable and can provide welcoming, supportive, and inclusive campuses?

Question 6. Do you support the ability of colleges and universities to recruit the most promising talent from around the world as students, faculty, and staff? If so, how will you ensure affordability and eliminate travel bans, visa revocations, and screening mandates?

How to Ask Them

You can ask the Questions in person, over email, or by using an online form. In any case, be sure to let us know what responses you get. Having people on record will make it easier for us to follow up with them in the future.

Find and learn about candidates, both U.S. Senators and Representatives running for re-election and challengers running for election

• To find the candidates in the races you can vote in, go to www.vote411.org, a website with information from across the U.S.

  • Enter your address to find your races. (You may also see an option to "Use Your Location." If you click on the link, it should fill in an address automatically. If it doesn't or if you're not in your own district when you click, you will need to fill in your address by hand.) Click "Get Started" or "Submit" on mobile.

  • On the next page, you can change the language for the website to a language other than English. When you are finished, click "Save & View Races."

  • On the next screen you will see all the races in your district. Focus on the races in Congress.

  • If it is one of your races, click on the option for U.S. Senator. Do the same for your U.S. Representative.

• For each candidate you're interested in, click on the name to see the information available. Under the heading “General Information,” you may find an email address, a link to their website, links to social media, and so on. If you're going to ask your questions in email, be sure to find the email address, either here or on the campaign website.

• Explore the vote411.org website and candidates' websites, the news, and other local sources of information to learn about each candidate's positions.

• If you want to ask your questions in person, also identify live events you could attend: debates, meet and greets, fundraisers, etc.

Find and learn about current U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives who are not up for re-election

• Go to www.govtrack.us/congress/members to find currently seated U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives, including those not up for re-election.

• Enter your address or your use your location by clicking "I'm at home." (If you click on the link, it should fill in an address automatically. If it doesn't, you will need to fill in your address by hand.) You will see a display of your current senators and representative and links to their websites.

• Most senators and representatives who are not running for re-election will not be attending events, so you will need to ask your questions online or in email.

• Go to the their websites and identify the options for submitting questions. Look for a link that says "contact us" or something similar. There may be a form to fill out online. Otherwise, be sure to record the email address.

Prepare to ask questions in person

• Identify an event to attend and plan how will you get there and back. If you have time, let local news outlets and people who post blogs, social media, podcasts, etc. about politics and/or education know you will be at the event and asking questions.

• Or, make a plan to visit the candidate's office and ask to talk with the candidate.

• Unless you are concerned that videoing will be met with hostility or provoke distrust, ask a friend to come with you and video the exchange. Be sure your friend knows that you want a video of both you asking the question and the candidate answering, for as long as it takes.

Asking questions in person

• Ask as many questions as time allows. At events, speak loudly and clearly.

• The first question in each case is a yes/no that focuses on an issue. Do your best to also ask the follow-up question, but if time is very limited, asking the first question is still useful.

• If you don't have someone videoing you, try to use your phone to record the audio of both your question and the answer. Use the video option on your phone, but don't point the camera at the person's face; you can just rely on the audio.

• Report back what you learn by using the Crimson Courage response form.

Asking questions online or in email

• For some candidates and most senators or representatives who are not running for re-election, you will need to ask your questions via a form online or in email.

• Ask all the questions that you can. (Space may be limited in a form.) Be sure to ask both the first and second question.

• Report back what you learn by using the Crimson Courage response form.