[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 57 (Thursday, April 29, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4694-S4696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mr. Graham of Florida, and Mr. 
        Dayton):
  S. 2360. A bill to provide higher education assistance for 
nontraditional students, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that will address a growing trend in higher education--the changing 
face of today's college student.
  Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the number 
of non-traditional students entering or returning to college. 
Nationwide, non-traditional students on college campuses are slowly 
becoming the norm--the percentage of non-traditional students on 
college campuses has increased to 47 percent in 2001 from 34 percent in 
1991.
  Non-traditional students come in many different forms. Some waited to 
go to college until their mid to late twenties or later--or were put in 
the position of having to go back to college late in life because they 
lost their job. Others are attending college part-time while they work 
full-time and/or are financially independent. Others have children, and 
may or may not have the support of a spouse. And still others never 
obtained a high school diploma.
  As you can imagine, these students face unique challenges that make 
it more difficult for them to graduate than their traditional peers. 
These challenges include affording their education, balancing work, 
school, and family responsibilities, and sometimes overcoming 
inadequate preparation.

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  Unfortunately, many of our current higher education policies make it 
harder, not easier, for non-traditional students to complete their 
degrees. That is why today I am pleased to be introducing, along with 
my colleague from the state of Florida, Senator Graham, The Non-
Traditional Students Success Act.
  This legislation is a comprehensive solution to the barriers non-
traditional students face as they try to earn a college degree. It is 
timely, and our system is long overdue for improvement.
  When I travel throughout New York, I hear about the challenges faced 
by many of our citizens, particularly those who have found themselves 
unemployed after years of working in companies like Kodak, Xerox, 
Corning, and IBM. Many of these citizens are in need of retraining--
some are returning to school, while others are attending college for 
the first time.
  The goal of this legislation is to increase graduation rates for non-
traditional students by addressing the range of barriers they face--
financial, academic, and social.
  First, I will begin with the financial; this legislation includes 
several provisions to make it more affordable for non-traditional 
students to complete their postsecondary education.
  It increases the maximum Pell Grant to $11,600 by 2010. Pell Grants 
work and there is no reason why we should not continue to invest in 
this worthwhile solution.
  This bill also increases the income protection allowance so that 
working students can keep more of their income. Our bill sets the level 
at $18,000 per year as opposed to only $5,000 per year--which is 
current law for single independent students.
  It increases the amount of education expenses that students can claim 
under the Lifetime Learning credit from 20 percent to 50 percent. Under 
current law, students receive a credit of only $300 for education 
expenses towards the Lifetime Learning credit. Under this proposal, 
they could claim $750--money that would go a long way towards 
offsetting the cost of higher education today.
  I am also proposing an information campaign so that students will 
know more about the financial aid available to them. Research shows 
that one of the most significant challenges to making ``lifelong 
learning'' a reality is to overcome the perception held by many non-
traditional students, especially first-generation and adults with few 
work skills, that they are not ``student material.''
  A direct mailing campaign combined with outreach to employers about 
the financial resources available to non-traditional students could 
significantly boost attendance and retention of non-traditional 
students.
  Secondly, The Non-Traditional Students Success Act addresses the 
daily challenges of balancing work, family and school by creating a 
pilot program to provide financial aid to students who are attending 
school less than half-time while maintaining a full-time work schedule.
  This provision will provide resources to schools that create class 
schedules that accommodate the realities of non-traditional students' 
lives--classes that are taught in short, compressed modules, on 
weekends, in the evenings, and over the Internet.
  This bill also creates a pilot program that will make Pell Grants 
available year round so students are not forced to discontinue their 
studies for the three-month summer period. These students want to 
complete their studies as soon as possible, and the three-month delay 
only impedes their progress.
  We are also putting forward ideas to put reliable childcare within 
the reach of students who have children. During my husband's 
administration we created CCAMPIS--a program to provide quality 
childcare on college campuses. This is an excellent program that 
deserves to be expanded. It has never received more than $25 million in 
funding, even though the need for reliable childcare on campuses is 
overwhelming.
  The Non-Traditional Student Support Act will expand the CCAMPIS 
program and provide a supplemental grant to low-income parents 
attending school.
  This legislation also increases funding to TRIO and Gear-Up. These 
programs have been successful in helping many non-traditional students 
achieve the goal of a college degree, and we must continue to support 
and expand these programs.
  We have also included language that requires these programs to give 
special attention to first-year students, as research shows completion 
of the first year is a key indicator of retention through graduation.
  I am very pleased with this legislation; it shows that we are moving 
in the right direction, tweaking our higher education policies to 
better serve our changing student population. I look forward to working 
with my colleagues to incorporate these provisions into the 
reauthorization of the higher education act.
  Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, the face of the American 
undergraduate is changing, and there is a growing need to reflect this 
transformation in our Federal education policy. In 2001, 47 percent of 
all undergraduates were considered non-traditional students. Despite 
this evolving landscape of higher education, many of our Nation's 
financial aid policies and student support services only address the 
financial needs and lifestyle demands of traditional students.
  Fewer and fewer of today's undergraduates come straight from high 
school, depend on parental financial support, and enroll as full-time 
students. Today's colleges and universities are filled with an 
unprecedented amount of non-traditional students. These students have a 
variety of responsibilities beyond their education that demand their 
time, attention, and income.
  Older scholars are in the unenviable position of having to balance 
school, work, family responsibilities, and the obligation of meeting 
the cost of higher education. Recent studies suggest that 39 percent of 
all undergraduates are 25 years or older and 27 percent have children. 
Further, 40 percent of undergraduates work full-time and 48 percent 
attend college part-time.
  Unfortunately, the needs of many devoted parents and hard working 
employees who attend college are not adequately supported by federal 
policy. For this reason, it is no surprise that non-traditional 
students are less likely than traditional students to complete a 
bachelors or associates degree.
  The consequences of our higher education policy failing to address 
the challenges faced by non-traditional students are great. In the 
global economy of the 21st century, a quality, accessible education 
remains the gatekeeper to achieving the American dream of economic 
self-sufficiency and meaningful employment.
  Indeed, never before has a college degree been so vital to so many. 
Today's marketplace demands a well-educated work force. According to 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, postsecondary education will be 
essential for 42 percent of the new jobs created in this decade. Higher 
education is not only the ticket to a good paying job, it is also an 
avenue to improved health care, child-care, housing, and nutrition.
  I am pleased to join Senator Clinton in introducing the Non-
Traditional Student Success Act, legislation designed to address the 
barriers that non-traditional students encounter while pursuing a 
college education.
  Escalating college costs are a central obstacle to all students, but 
can be especially devastating to non-traditional students who often 
have families to care for. Responding to the rising cost of obtaining a 
college degree and the declining purchasing power of federal financial 
assistance, this legislation will help ensure that college is 
affordable and accessible to non-traditional students.
  With this goal in mind, our bill will increase the maximum Pell Grant 
to $11,600 over the next five years and pilot a program that would make 
this aid available year-round. This provision will ease the financial 
burden non-traditional students endure and help them complete their 
degree programs more quickly.
  Our legislation also addresses a problem many non-traditional 
students experience, not being able to qualify for a sufficient amount 
of financial aid due to their less-than-full-time enrollment status. We 
propose establishing a pilot program to provide more financial aid to 
students enrolled in a degree program less-than-half-time, students

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with compressed or alternative schedules, and/or students in distance 
learning. It is imperative that our financial aid system no longer 
exists at odds with the needs and course loads of non-traditional 
students. This measure takes a critical first step towards correcting 
this situation.
  Our bill also expands the list of education expenses for the Lifetime 
Learning tax credit to include not just the costs of tuition and fees 
but also books, supplies and equipment, childcare and living expenses. 
Non-traditional students often have more expenses than tuition and fees 
that must be considered if a college degree is going to be financially 
possible.
  A common sense way of making higher education more accessible is to 
increase the public's awareness of available financial aid, including 
education tax credits. In 2001, only 21 percent of respondents in a 
national survey had heard of the education tax credits. Our bill will 
promote what financial aid programs are available.
  It is not enough that we improve the affordability of college for 
non-traditional students without improving student support services 
that promote retention and academic success among these students. This 
legislation increases funding for on-campus child-care to help 
nontraditional students with children. Additionally, we propose an 
increase in funding for Student Support Service programs, GEAR UP and 
College Assistance Migrant Programs. These programs provide counseling, 
mentoring, tutoring and other services to help non-traditional students 
succeed.
  I encourage my colleagues to support the Non-Traditional Student 
Success Act. This legislation contains a variety of common sense 
provisions that make college more affordable and success more probable 
for non-traditional students. By supporting the Non-Traditional Student 
Success Act, you help bring the American dream within reach for a large 
segment of our Nation's undergraduate population.
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