[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE WOMEN'S HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 1998

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 1998

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing today the Women's Higher 
Education Opportunity Act of 1998. I am particularly pleased that nine 
of my colleagues have joined me as original cosponsors of this bill. 
They include: Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. McCarthy of 
New York, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mrs. Morella, Ms. Norton, Ms. Sanchez, 
Ms. Woolsey, and Mr. Schumer.
  This is a very important piece of legislation, and I am very hopeful 
that many of its provisions will be incorporated in the legislation 
reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.
  As the ranking minority member on the Postsecondary Education 
Subcommittee, I intend to do more than simply voice support for the 
provisions of this bill. I will do whatever I can to see many of its 
provisions find their way into the reauthorization bill upon which we 
are now working.
  With respect to the bill's student aid provisions, I believe it is 
critically important that part-time students continue to be eligible 
for both Pell Grant and campus-based student aid. Many of the part-time 
students in college today are women who work, raise a family and attend 
college on a part-time basis. It is important, therefore, that if 
eligible, they can obtain federal student aid. They should not be 
disqualified simply because they are not full-time students.
  If they have children who need to be cared for while they are in 
school, it is equally important that they receive satisfactory 
dependent care allowance. We would propose, therefore, that the 
allowance of $750 in current law be doubled, to $1500.
  In current law, we also have a requirement that at least 5% of the 
campus-based aid go to part-time students where they make up at least 
5% of the institution's student enrollment. We are well above this 
requirement in the SEOG, College Work Study and Perkins Loan programs. 
While a specific statutory percentage requirement may no longer be 
necessary, we must nevertheless remain vigilant in making sure that 
these campus-based aid programs continue to aid the part-time student 
in a fair and equitable manner.
  It is also clear that we should go beyond the necessary student aid 
changes and establish a discretionary grant program that would provide 
more extensive on-campus child care services. This would help low-
income parents more readily pursue a college education by providing 
child care services on the campus of the college they are attending.
  Last year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972. This is the law that has done so much to 
expand college athletic opportunities for American girls and women. It 
is imperative that we reaffirm our commitment in this area, and that we 
not retreat from what we have worked so hard to accomplish.
  As we develop a teacher training piece in the Higher Education 
reauthorization, I want to reiterate my commitment to a provision that 
is especially important to women, and one which is not covered in this 
particular bill. This involves the need to include in any Higher 
Education reauthorization bill provisions that will enhance the 
training of both paraprofessionals and non-certified teachers to become 
fully certified members of the teaching profession.
  We must continue our effort to insure that groups traditionally 
underrepresented in graduate education, namely women and minorities, 
have a prominent focus in the reauthorization of these provisions of 
the Higher Education Act. If the reauthorization bill fails to include 
such a provision then we must seek passage of an amendment to 
accomplish that important objective.
  And last, but by no means least, we must not only continue but 
intensify efforts to make sure that the campus is a safe heaven for 
learning. This means a stronger program to combat violence on the 
college campus and a better, more effective reporting of campus crimes, 
especially those involving sexual assault.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I have worked closely with the 
American Association of University Women in formulating this bill. I 
want to congratulate the Association for its strong commitment in 
furthering educational opportunity for women, and congratulate the 
Association staff for the superb work they have done in putting this 
initiative together. We now face the hard, but enjoyable work of doing 
whatever we can to incorporate these provisions in the legislation 
reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.

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