PNPI hosts two multi-day boot camps focused on a subject in higher education policy every year. An in-person Federal Student Aid (FSA) boot camp is held each summer and a virtual boot camp focused on another pressing higher education topic is held each winter.
Participants generally include nonprofit, think tank, and national association staff, as well as public policy students interested in a career in federal higher education policy. Attendees engage with their peers and current policy professionals and leave with a solid understanding of the covered subject.
Scholarships are offered to students with an interest in federal postsecondary policy with financial need.
At no additional cost, boot camp participants have the opportunity to earn a digital badge, a web-enabled version of a credential. Issued through Credly, badges can be added to participants’ LinkedIn profiles, social media platforms, and shared with current and future employers.
Upcoming boot camp dates will be posted here.
Boot camp participants typically include nonprofit, think tank and national association staff, public policy students interested in a career in federal higher education policy, as well as members of the media who cover education.
The content is appropriate for those new to higher education policy as well as experienced practitioners who need to stay on top of recent developments, including with the new FAFSA and changes to the federal student loan repayment plans.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with their peers and current policy professionals and leave with a solid understanding of FSA.
Student Registrant: $119 (must be a degree-seeking student at a federally accredited institution and must email a copy of student ID to pnpi@pnpi.org to verify student status and enrollment)
Nonprofit/Government Registrant: $319 (must register with a .org or .gov email address)
Regular Registrant: $519
Participants who cancel their registrations for the boot camp by July 1st will receive a full refund minus a small administrative fee. Participants who cancel their registrations after July 1st will forfeit the entirety of their registration fee.
PNPI offers a limited number of registration/attendance scholarships for graduate students and undergraduate students (at 2-year and/or 4-year institutions) who demonstrate both an interest in federal higher education policy and financial need. Eligibility is limited to students who can demonstrate that they are Pell recipients or Pell-eligible (more below). Scholarships include: the boot camp registration fee; round trip fare to/from Washington, D.C. (7/10-7/12) and meals while in D.C.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must demonstrate financial need. Undergraduate students (at both 2-year and 4-year institutions) must have received a Pell Grant for the Spring semester of 2024. Graduate students must have received a Pell grant in their senior year of undergraduate studies verified by their financial aid award letter and demonstrate Pell-eligibility for the most recent academic year verified by a family contribution of less than $5,300 on their Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education.
- All majors/fields of study accepted, but candidates must demonstrate an interest in postsecondary education policy or practice.
- Must commit to attending all sessions during the boot camp.
- Boot Camp Scholarship recipients must commit to attending a networking dinner with PNPI staff from 6-7pm on Wednesday, July 10th.
Applications are officially closed for the 2024 FSA Boot Camp Scholarships.
PNPI is excited to provide our participants with a digital credential for participating the Federal Student Aid Boot Camp. Offered on the Credly platform, digital badges can be displayed in email signatures, on electronic copies of a resumé, and on social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. There is no fee for the badge, and acceptance of the badge lies with the participant once it is issued by PNPI.
What are the benefits of PNPI’s digital badge?
Participants are provided with:
- A web-enabled version of their credential that can easily be shared online.
- Labor market insights that relate your skills to jobs.
- A trusted method for real-time credential verification.
The digital badge is ONLY available to participants who attend all of the boot camp sessions and submit a completed boot camp survey.
All badge earners will receive an email inviting them to claim their badge after the boot camp—accepting the badge is optional. You can read more about the badge here.
