[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 846 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 846

  Designating November 2022 as ``National College Application Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 17, 2022

  Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. King, Ms. 
    Ernst, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating November 2022 as ``National College Application Month''.

Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of the noblest aspirations 
        of the United States;
Whereas data on the benefits of higher education demonstrates that, while 
        disparities to access and student success persist, postsecondary 
        education can still provide pathways to economic opportunity;
Whereas the United States built a thriving middle class by providing students 
        with postsecondary opportunities that lead to individual economic 
        opportunity and shared economic growth;
Whereas higher education enhances the economic mobility of individuals, which is 
        evidenced by--

    (1) a finding by the Brookings Institute that the median lifetime 
earnings of holders of an associate degree are uniformly greater than the 
median lifetime earnings of holders of solely a high school diploma; and

    (2) a finding by the Pew Economic Mobility Project that, for an 
individual born in the lowest income quintile, obtaining a 4-year degree or 
a higher degree is associated with--

    G    (A) greater likelihoods of economic mobility compared to 
individuals who do not earn such degrees; and

    G    (B) a greater than threefold difference in the probability of that 
individual going on to earn an income in the highest income quintile;

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that--

    (1) the unemployment rate of high school graduates in 2021 who did not 
immediately matriculate to an institution of higher education the following 
fall semester was 21.6 percent, 6 times higher than the overall 
unemployment rate of the United States;

    (2) approximately 38 percent of high school graduates in 2021 did not 
immediately matriculate to an institution of higher education the following 
fall semester, which represents a 0.9 percentage point decline from the 
prior year, and a 7.3 percentage point decline from 2018;

    (3) the decline described in paragraph (2) was most notable among male 
high school graduates, who faced a 12-percent decline from 2018 in 
immediate matriculation to an institution of higher education; and

    (4) the unemployment rate of adults with a bachelor's degree is 
approximately half the unemployment rate of adults whose highest credential 
is a high school diploma, a gap that has grown larger as a result of COVID-
19;

Whereas the National Student Clearinghouse reports that undergraduate enrollment 
        in colleges and universities continues to decline precipitously even as 
        the United States recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for 
        nontraditional students;
Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and rising college costs can 
        serve as additional deterrents or barriers for students and families as 
        they assess the viability of higher education programs as a 
        postsecondary option;
Whereas many students struggle to identify and compare postsecondary options due 
        to--

    (1) difficulties accessing school counseling services, which is 
evidenced by an estimation of the American School Counselor Association 
that the student-to-counselor ratio in the United States is 415 to 1;

    (2) an absence of reliable programmatic and institutional outcome data; 
and

    (3) a lack of comparable and understandable college financial aid 
offers;

Whereas, in addition to expanding outreach and support to recent high school 
        graduates, colleges and universities must also expand outreach and 
        support to all undergraduate students;
Whereas applications for State-based financial aid are available in many States 
        for students who do not qualify for Federal student aid; and
Whereas the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities, families, 
        and educational systems across the United States underscores and 
        reinforces the value of ensuring that all individuals, including 
        students enrolled in high school and working adults--

    (1) understand their postsecondary options;

    (2) understand college financing opportunities; and

    (3) have support to navigate the college application and financial aid 
processes: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates November 2022 as ``National College 
        Application Month'';
            (2) encourages the people of the United States to--
                    (A) evaluate options for pursuing higher education;
                    (B) submit a Free Application for Federal Student 
                Aid or an appropriate application for State-based 
                financial aid in order to receive college financing 
                opportunities; and
                    (C) support every student, regardless of the 
                background, age, 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 college students throughout the financial aid and 
        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 for financial aid; 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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