Supporting the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and reaffirming the commitment of the House of Representatives to expanding access to higher education for all Americans.

Supporting the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and reaffirming the commitment of the House of Representatives to expanding access to higher education for all Americans.

Whereas the year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of the Great Society initiatives to strengthen the Nation through expanded educational opportunities;

Whereas, prior to its passage, higher education remained an unreachable dream for many Americans lacking financial means or legal ability, due to social and economic inequality;

Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 was a response to the advocacy of generations who sought increased access to higher education for populations barred by poverty, racial injustice, and other forms of discrimination;

Whereas the Act authorized an array of student aid programs to support low-income students and their families, such as grants, student loans, and work-study;

Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 also supported research by providing grants to institutions of higher education, establishing a National Teacher Corps, and allocating aid to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, two-year colleges, and other developing institutions;

Whereas amendments to the Act created landmark programs in chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV (commonly known as the “Federal TRIO Programs”), including the Upward Bound Program, Talent Search Program, and Special Services for Disadvantaged Students Program, to support low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities;

Whereas the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (commonly known as “title IX”) prohibits discrimination based on sex in programs receiving Federal funding and advances equality in education and athletics;

Whereas the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, now known as the Federal Pell Grant program under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, began providing essential need-based grants to low-income students and improved access to higher education;

Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 was amended to promote the success of students from migrant and seasonal farmworker families by supporting the High School Equivalency Program and the College Assistance Migrant Program under section 418A of the Act;

Whereas the Act was also amended to establish the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs in chapter 2 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV, increasing college readiness for low-income students via support for cohorts in high-poverty middle schools;

Whereas amendments to title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 created opportunities for loan forgiveness targeted at the Nation’s public servants, teachers, servicemembers, and civil servants, enabling more graduates to enter and remain in these vital professions while progressing toward greater financial stability and independence;

Whereas amendments to the Act that created title V increased support for Hispanic-serving institutions, universities, and colleges, and expanded the postsecondary opportunities for Latino and low-income students; and

Whereas the Higher Education Act of 1965 solidified and expanded the Federal Government’s role in higher education policy, providing Americans the means to pursue postsecondary education: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) supports the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the enactment of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.);

(2) acknowledges those whose support and efforts led to passage and continued strengthening of the Act;

(3) recognizes the significant investments the Act has made in the lives of American students, families, educators, and the Nation as a whole; and

(4) reaffirms its commitment to ensuring all Americans, regardless of background or circumstance, can pursue and complete higher education for the benefit of the Nation’s democracy and economy.