Campus Progress was an education activist group, defunct as of 2024, that advocated increased student aid in the United States along with other left-of-center policies focused on higher education. It was a project of the Washington, D.C-based think tank Center for American Progress (CAP). ¹

In 2012, Campus Progress collaborated with researchers at CAP and the USAction Education Fund to release a series of reports on Stafford student loans. ²

The group hosted an annual National Student Conference which previously had speakers including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. ¹

Background

Campus Progress was an education activist group, defunct as of 2024, that advocated for increased student aid in the United States along with other left-of-center policies focused on higher education. It was a project of the Washington, D.C-based think tank Center for American Progress (CAP).  ^{1 1}

Activities

Campus Progress advocated for left-of-center education-based policies including increased student aid within the United States. The group operated an online magazine and released student publications while also organizing public events. ¹ The group also provided internship opportunities to students. ¹

Campus Progress provided training for students as well as grants towards funding its publications as well as organizing public events. The group networked and held training sessions with other Washington D.C-based activist groups including Wellstone Action (renamed RePower as of 2024), the Student PIRGS, and The Nation magazine. ¹

The group held an annual National Student Conference that included speakers including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. ¹

Specific topics the group advocated on included the Iraq War, the Darfur War in Sudan, poverty, the death penalty, “global warming,” “civil rights,” “student debt,” and “academic freedom.”  ¹

In 2012, Campus Progress collaborated with researchers at CAP and the USAction Education Fund to publish a series of reports claiming how an interest rate increase in Stafford student loans would negatively affect students throughout the United States by creating an analysis of students within all 50 states. ²

1. “Campus Progress.” CampusAcivism.org. Accessed October 26, 2024. http://www.campusactivism.org/displayobject.php?giGid=1170&gsTable=groups.
2. Center for American Progress; Campus Progress; USAction. “State-Level Analysis of Student Loan Interest Rate Increase.” Center for American Progress, May 4, 2024. Accessed October 26, 2024. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/state-level-analysis-of-student-loan-interest-rate-increase/.