Our Current Initiatives

Read about the unique work UCGPC is doing right now to support the graduate student community.

Day on the Hill, Washington D.C. (2026)

The DC Day on the Hill is UCGPC’s annual federal advocacy event where graduate and professional students from across the University of California system travel to Washington, DC to advocate for policies that support graduate education and research.

Read our current advocacy agenda below:

Introducing UCGPC to Congress

One of the main goals of this advocacy trip is to educate Congress, specifically members from the California delegation and their staff about UCGPC, who we are, what we do, and what our values are. Our goal is to establish our organization as a key legislative player on higher education issues and the voice for graduate and professional students in California.

Funding for Research

We will thank lawmakers who have supported federal research for FY26 and encourage them to bolster funding and include provisions that protect research in the FY27 budget.

Additionally, we will ask that they continue to put pressure on the Trump Administration, to follow the law as Congress intended and release withheld research funding. Students will share their personal experiences of how the Trump Administration’s unlawful withholding of federal funds impacted them last year, including lost opportunities for research assistantships (RAs), teaching assistantships (TAs), and fellowships tied to federal research grants and examples of departments reducing support and resources for graduate and professional students.

Loan Fairness

We will advocate to repeal the restriction loan provisions of HR1 that create unwarranted barriers to advanced degrees. UCGPC urges Congress to eliminate borrowing caps that discourage graduate studies in critical fields like education, medicine, nursing, social work, and more.

Reduce Debt Burden

UCGPC urges Congress to pass H.R. 4862 the LOAN Act to reduce the cost of advanced degrees by expanding access to subsidized loans, extending Pell Grant eligibility to graduate students, eliminating interest capitalization, and capping interest rates of new student loans.

Codify OPT Program

UCGPC urges Congress to pass H.R. 8013 The Keep Innovators in American Act to codify Optional Practical Training (OPT) Program and prevent the program from being restricted or eliminated by the Trump Administration or any other future presidential administration without an act of Congress.

AY 2025-2026 Committees on Campaign Priorities

1. Immigration, Undocumented, and International Student Rights

Chair: Jack Feng, UC Los Angeles

Graduate students from immigrant, undocumented, and international backgrounds face unique and urgent challenges. This campaign will focus on:

Protecting and expanding work and research opportunities.
Advocating for equitable tuition, fees, and funding access regardless of immigration status.
Addressing visa, work authorization, and travel barriers that disrupt academic progress.
Strengthening institutional support for undocumented and mixed-status families.

We will work to ensure that every UC graduate student—regardless of origin or status—can thrive without fear of legal, financial, or institutional barriers.

2. Healthcare

Chair: Oluwatosin Jegede, UC San Diego

In light of federal and state policy shifts impacting both healthcare access and healthcare workers, UCGPC will take a comprehensive approach to graduate student health. Our campaign will:

Address the rising costs of healthcare premiums, co-pays, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Advocate for improved dependent coverage so graduate student families aren’t left behind.
Examine the accessibility of mental health services, specialist care, and reproductive health.
Protect graduate student researchers working in health-related fields from political and funding attacks.

We believe healthcare should be affordable, comprehensive, and accessible for all graduate students and their families.

3. Basic Needs: Food, Family, Housing, and Affordability (FFHA)

Chair: Jalen Ward, UC Davis

Basic needs are the foundation of academic success—and far too many graduate students are struggling to meet them. This campaign will:

Fight for affordable, stable housing near campus.
Advocate for food security programs that meet graduate student realities.
Push for better family support services, including childcare and parental leave policies.
Address overall affordability, from transportation to campus fees.

Our goal is to ensure that no graduate student has to choose between academic success and meeting their basic needs.

Through these three campaigns, UCGPC will mobilize across campuses, work with UC leadership, and advocate at the state and federal levels to secure tangible wins for graduate students. We invite all graduate students to get involved, share their stories, and help us make change happen.

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University of California

Graduate and Professional Council

981 Mission Street, #31, San Francisco, CA 94103