[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 500 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 500

 Designating November 8, 2023, as ``National First-Generation College 
                           Celebration Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 13, 2023

 Mr. Warnock (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
   Braun, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
 Crapo, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Menendez, 
   Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Risch, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Vance, and Mr. 
 Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
                             and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating November 8, 2023, as ``National First-Generation College 
                           Celebration Day''.

Whereas a ``first-generation college student'' means an individual whose parents 
        did not complete a baccalaureate degree, or in the case of any 
        individual who regularly resided with and received support from only 1 
        parent, an individual whose parent did not complete a baccalaureate 
        degree;
Whereas November 8 honors 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 was focused on increasing postsecondary 
        education access and success for students, particularly low-income and 
        first-generation college students;
Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 helped usher in programs necessary for 
        low-income, first-generation college students to access, remain in, and 
        complete postsecondary education, 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 are the primary national effort supporting 
        underrepresented students in postsecondary education and are designed to 
        identify individuals from low-income backgrounds that would be first-
        generation college students and prepare them for postsecondary 
        education, provide them support services, and 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 students may face additional academic, 
        financial, and social challenges that their peers do not face in 
        pursuing higher education;
Whereas 56 percent of all current college students currently pursuing degrees 
        are first-generation college students;
Whereas the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-
        generation Student Success jointly launched the inaugural First-
        Generation College Celebration in 2017; and
Whereas the First-Generation College Celebration has continued to grow, and 
        institutions of higher education, corporations, nonprofit organizations, 
        and elementary and secondary schools now celebrate November 8 as 
        ``First-Generation College Celebration Day'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates November 8, 2023, as ``National First-
        Generation College Celebration Day''; and
            (2) urges all people of the United States to--
                    (A) celebrate ``National First-Generation College 
                Celebration Day'' throughout the United States;
                    (B) recognize the important role that first-
                generation college students play in helping to develop 
                the future workforce; and
                    (C) celebrate the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) and its programs that help 
                underrepresented students access higher education.
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