July 31 – August 3
Austin, Texas
The Westin Austin Downtown
310 East 5th Street
Austin, TX 78701
For additional information/details regarding this meeting, please contact Chris Paulson (cpaulson@nfhs.org) at the NFHS.
**Current Year Updates
**The Final Policy Debate Topic for 2025-2026 will be announced on January 10, 2025. To understand how we got to this point in the process, please review the articles linked below.
2025 NFHS Policy Debate Topic Selection Meeting – General Info
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Detailed Agenda / Schedule – schedule posted Thursday, April 17, 2025. May be edited or updated closer to official meeting dates.
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Things to Do in Austin – use this resource published by the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau to find unique places to eat, shop, and listen to music.
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Register Here – use this link to register for the 2025 Policy Debate Topic Selection Meeting.
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Hotel Registration– use this quick link to book your hotel stay in Austin. The NFHS has secured special pricing with the Westin Austin Downtown (Marriott property).
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Policy Debate Quarterly (Pre-Order / Purchase Now!) – Policy Debate Quarterly is the premier resource for the current year’s Policy Debate Topic.
Topic Author – Information
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2024-25 Topic Selection Handbook – Information for current and future authors, including timelines, writing criteria, stipend structures, and more.
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Archive of Topic Reports from previous years (2019-present)
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Meeting Materials – this page will be activated in mid-July, approximately two weeks before the 2025 Policy Debate Topic Selection Meeting, and it will contain all pertinent information and tools for attendees to use during the meeting.
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Resource Video – this video may help new topic authors to familiarize themselves with the topic paper writing process.
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Timeline for 2024-2025 – graphic detailing Topic Selection Procedures
