[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 437 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 437

    Expressing support for the designation of November 8, 2021, as 
         ``National First-Generation College Celebration Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 3, 2021

Mr. Warnock (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Whitehouse, 
   Mr. Durbin, Mr. Booker, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, Mr. 
 Tester, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Coons, Ms. Collins, Mr. Risch, 
Mr. Crapo, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
               on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing support for the designation of November 8, 2021, as 
         ``National First-Generation College Celebration Day''.

Whereas November 8 is the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 
        November 8, 1965;
Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) was focused on 
        increasing postsecondary access and success for students, particularly 
        for low-income and first-generation students;
Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) helped usher 
        in programs necessary for postsecondary access, retention, and 
        completion for low-income, first-generation college students, including 
        the Federal TRIO Programs under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of 
        title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et 
        seq.) and the Federal Pell Grant program under section 401 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a);
Whereas the Federal TRIO Programs under chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of 
        title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et 
        seq.) are--

    (1) the primary national effort supporting underrepresented students in 
postsecondary education; and

    (2) designed to identify individuals from low-income, first-generation 
backgrounds in order to--

    G    (A) prepare them for postsecondary education;

    G    (B) provide them with support services; and

    G    (C) motivate and prepare them for doctoral programs;

Whereas the Federal Pell Grant program under section 401 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) is the primary Federal investment in 
        financial aid for low-income college students, and is used by students 
        at institutions of higher education of their choice;
Whereas ``first-generation college student'' means--

    (1) an individual whose parents did not complete a baccalaureate 
degree; or

    (2) in the case of an individual who regularly resided with and 
received support from only 1 parent, an individual whose parent did not 
complete a baccalaureate degree;

Whereas first-generation college students may face additional academic, 
        financial, and social challenges that lead to disparate outcomes in 
        college access, completion, and labor market outcomes compared to their 
        peers with parents who attended at least some college;
Whereas 56 percent of all college students currently pursuing degrees are first-
        generation college students;
Whereas, in 2017, the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for 
        First-generation Student Success jointly launched the inaugural First-
        Generation College Celebration; and
Whereas the First-Generation College Celebration has continued to grow, and 
        institutions of higher education, corporations, nonprofits, and 
        elementary and secondary schools now celebrate November 8 as ``National 
        First-Generation College Celebration Day'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of November 8, 
        2021, as ``National First-Generation College Celebration Day''; 
        and
            (2) urges all people in the United States--
                    (A) to celebrate National First-Generation College 
                Celebration Day throughout the United States;
                    (B) to recognize the important role that first-
                generation college students play in helping to develop 
                the future workforce; and
                    (C) to celebrate the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) and programs under that Act 
                that help underrepresented students access higher 
                education.
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