[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 697 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 697

  Designating November 2018 as ``National College Application Month''.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 15, 2018

     Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Scott) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating November 2018 as ``National College Application Month''.

Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of the noblest aspirations 
        of the United States;
Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics reports that the employment 
        rate for young adults with a bachelor's degree and the employment rate 
        for young adults whose highest credential is a high school diploma 
        differ by 14 percentage points;
Whereas a 2015 study by Georgetown University identified that the average 
        lifetime earnings gap between college graduates and individuals with 
        only a high school diploma is $1,000,000;
Whereas the Pew Economic Mobility Project finds that whether a child born in the 
        lowest income quintile obtains a 4-year degree or higher credential is 
        associated with--

    (1) an approximately 70-percent difference in the probability of that 
child earning an income outside the lowest income quintile; and

    (2) a threefold difference in the probability of that child going on to 
earn an income in the highest income quintile;

Whereas the Education Commission of the States highlights that the number of 
        nontraditional students at colleges and universities is expected to rise 
        65 percent faster than the number of traditional students during the 15-
        year period ending in 2024;
Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 33 percent of 
        high school graduates in 2017 did not matriculate to an institution of 
        higher education the following fall semester, representing a modest 
        decline in college enrollment since the year before;
Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the unemployment rate 
        for recent high school graduates not enrolled in college in the fall 
        semester of 2017 was 16.8 percent, significantly higher than the 
        national unemployment rate;
Whereas many secondary students struggle to identify and assess appropriate 
        postsecondary options due to a number of factors, including insufficient 
        information on programmatic outcomes and difficulties in accessing 
        effective or consistent counseling services and resources;
Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and processes, coupled with a 
        shortage of effective and comprehensive financial literacy instruction, 
        can serve as an additional deterrent or barrier for students and 
        families as they assess the viability of higher education programs as a 
        postsecondary option;
Whereas the United States built a thriving middle class in part by nurturing the 
        potential for colleges and universities to serve as engines of social 
        mobility; and
Whereas the data on the benefits of higher education demonstrate that, in spite 
        of ongoing barriers to access and student success, colleges and 
        universities can still serve as engines of social mobility: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates November 2018 as ``National College 
        Application Month'';
            (2) encourages the people of the United States--
                    (A) to evaluate options for pursuing higher 
                education; and
                    (B) to support every student, regardless of the 
                background or resources of the student, in obtaining 
                the skills and knowledge needed to thrive;
            (3) supports efforts to better assist low-income and first 
        generation students throughout the college application process;
            (4) urges public officials, educators, parents, students, 
        and communities in the United States to observe National 
        College Application Month with appropriate activities and 
        programs designed to encourage students to consider, research, 
        and apply to college; and
            (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, and parents who 
        support students throughout the college application process, as 
        well as the organizations and institutions partnering to 
        eliminate barriers to higher education.
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