[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 143 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 143

  Supporting efforts to ensure that students have access to debt-free 
                           higher education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 21, 2015

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Warren, Mr. Reed, Mr. Booker, 
and Mr. Murphy) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
       to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting efforts to ensure that students have access to debt-free 
                           higher education.

Whereas the economic competitiveness of the United States in the global economy 
        requires a well-educated workforce;
Whereas current and future young people in the United States should have the 
        same opportunity offered to those who went to college in previous 
        generations, including the ability to attend State colleges and 
        universities without taking on burdensome debt;
Whereas, in 2015, higher education is more important than ever because it is an 
        essential step to entering and remaining in the middle class;
Whereas, because of the importance of higher education, the United States should 
        expand the opportunity to pursue and attain higher education to more 
        people than had that opportunity in the past;
Whereas public investment in higher education pays off, as evidenced by the fact 
        that workers with college degrees earn more money, pay more taxes, and 
        rely less on government services; and
Whereas student loan debt saddles the very students who most depend on a college 
        degree to level the economic playing field with a burden that--

    (1) constrains the career choices and hurts the credit rating of the 
students;

    (2) prevents people from fully participating in the economy by 
purchasing goods and services; and

    (3) threatens essential milestones of the American dream, including the 
purchase of a home or car, starting a family, and saving for retirement: 
Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate supports efforts--
            (1) to ensure that, through a combination of efforts, all 
        students have access to debt-free higher education, defined to 
        mean having no debt upon graduation from all public 
        institutions of higher education;
            (2) to provide support to States so States can make 
        increased investments in higher education that will result in 
        lower tuition and costs for students;
            (3) to increase financial aid to students to help them 
        afford the total cost of college attendance without taking on 
        debt;
            (4) to encourage innovation by States and institutions of 
        higher education to cut costs for students and make college 
        more affordable by increasing efficiency and enabling speedy 
        and less-costly degree completion; and
            (5) to reduce the burden of existing student loan debt.
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