[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   STATEMENT BY PEOPLES ACADEMY STUDENTS ON COSTS OF POST-SECONDARY 
                               EDUCATION

                                 ______


                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 29, 1996

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues I would 
like to have printed in the Record this statement by Bethany Carpenter, 
a high school student from Brattleboro, VT. She was speaking at my 
recent town meeting on issues facing young people.

       My name is Bethany Carpenter, and first of all I just want 
     to say thanks for letting us come today.
       ``The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.'' How 
     many times has that phrase been stated in one form or 
     another, it seems to carry no meaning anymore. But what a 
     true statement it is. Sadly, this statement soon will not be 
     truthful. Many of the leaders of tomorrow are losing the 
     opportunity to become leaders due to the lack of support for 
     a post-secondary education.
       Over the past year, I have gone through the process of 
     looking at colleges; choosing a select number to apply to; 
     applying; waiting for responses; and most importantly, 
     sending for financial aid. My top choice school is a small 
     university in upstate New York specializing in theater arts 
     and elementary education. Unfortunately, this school costs 
     $24,000/year. Therefore, I am forced to choose between my top 
     choice school, which will better prepare me for my future 
     career, or a somewhat large college in Central Vermont, which 
     will cost less but will not provide me with the specialized 
     education that my top choice would. To me, this is the most 
     disappointing part of my application procedures.
       The total post-secondary enrollment in this country has 
     been rising rapidly in the past years, while the federal 
     support for post-secondary students has been decreasing. High 
     school students have been feeling more pressure to continue 
     their education beyond their twelve years due to the lack of 
     availability of high-paying jobs for high school graduates. 
     In today's high-paced world, those who have completed more 
     years of schooling typically experience less unemployment 
     than other workers.
       In addition, workers' earnings are generally increased as 
     their level of learning increases. In the latter half of the 
     1970's, the average male college graduate earned about 50% 
     more than the average high school graduate. By 1994, the 
     premium paid to males with college degrees had risen to 81%. 
     Similarly, the average wage advantage of female college 
     graduates over female high school graduates grew from about 
     41% to 77%. In 1994, the average earnings of male workers 18 
     years or older with a bachelor's degree was $46,278, compared 
     to that of high school graduates was only $25,038. In the 
     same year, the average earnings of female workers with a 
     bachelor's degree was $26,482, while that of a high school 
     graduate was only $14,995.
       The increase in salaries for college graduates over the 
     past 15-20 years shows the need for a post-secondary 
     education in today's society. Federal support in the form of 
     student aid reached a high in 1980, with 83% of aid awarded 
     in federal funds. That support has dropped to 75% in 1993. 
     The enrollment of post-secondary students increased from 8.6 
     million in 1970 to 12.1 million in 1980, and rose to 
     approximately 15 million in 1993.
       I have formatted a plan for tuition which will allow more 
     students to attend college. The plan starts with the fact 
     that the United States, in 1995, spent an estimated $269.6 
     billion for our national defense, while only spending an 
     estimated $54.7 billion for education and training. This is 
     less than one-fifth of the amount that is spent on the 
     military, and this is a disgrace! In many countries, higher 
     education is a right, not a privilege. For instance, a 
     fundamental principle in Swedish higher education is that all 
     students who need help to finance their studies should 
     receive assistance from the central government. Can the 
     United States say the same? If the United States government 
     were to take $69.6 billion of the national defense budget and 
     put the money towards the education and training of America's 
     future, this would open up worlds of possibilities for 
     students, who would otherwise have to forfeit their dream for 
     college.
       If the government would make more money available to pay 
     for the tuitions of students in need, more students would be 
     able to afford the other expenses of college. My plan 
     includes setting a basic fee for all students attending 
     college, no matter what year they are in college or the 
     college that they are attending. By doing this, the amount of 
     money paid by any student or family would be lowered, their 
     application process for colleges would also need to be 
     reviewed, and many colleges would need to reevaluate their 
     expenses and costs. The individual state governments would 
     then need to institute loan and grant programs for the 
     students who would still need assistance paying the basic fee 
     or living expenses while in college.
       This plan would involve a major change in thinking and 
     planning on the part of many people involved, but it is my 
     hope that it will lead to a better, more fair educational 
     system for future students. Therefore, it is with a mixture 
     of hope and trepidation and a wish that you consider very 
     carefully my original statement, that ``the children of today 
     are the leaders of tomorrow,'' but only if given the chances 
     to achieve their goals. (Applause)
       Congressman Sanders: Thank you. Bethany, that was an 
     excellent and important statement. Let me ask you a question. 
     You mentioned Sweden, and it's true, throughout Europe, and 
     even in Canada, that the cost of higher education is much 
     less because the government plays a much more active role. 
     Why do you think that's so, that other countries in Europe 
     and Scandinavia, do that--make college more affordable for 
     young people--and we don't do that in the U.S.?
       Answer. Many of the other countries that I researched don't 
     spend as much on their military, and these programs and other 
     things like that, and they focus more on the fact that their 
     youth (and even adults who want to continue their education) 
     need to do that, and that that's more important than trying 
     to set up a good army. So they institute a lot more loan, 
     grant and financial aid programs.
       Congressman Sanders: So they have a very different set of 
     priorities than we do, is what you're saying.
       Answer. A much different set of priorities.

                          ____________________