[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1719-S1720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. 
        Jeffords, and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 458. A bill to amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act 
to give States the option to create a program that allows individuals 
receiving temporary assistance to needy families to obtain post-
secondary or longer duration vocational education; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce ``The Pathways to 
Self-Sufficiency Act of 2003.'' I am pleased to be joined in 
introducing this important legislation by my colleagues Senators 
Baucus, Bingaman, Jeffords and Rockefeller. 
  This legislation is based upon the highly esteemed Maine program 
called ``Parents as Scholars''. This program, which uses State 
Maintenance of Effort, MOE, dollars to pay TANF-like benefits to those 
participating in post-secondary education, is a proven success in my 
State and is a wonderful foundation for a national effort.
  We all agree that the 1996 welfare reform effort changed the face of 
this Nation's welfare system to focus it on work. To that end, I 
believe that this legislation bolsters the emphasis on ``work first''. 
Like many of my colleagues, I agree that the shift in the focus from 
welfare to work was the right decision, and that work should be the top 
priority. However, for those TANF recipients who cannot find a good job 
that will put them on the road toward financial independence, education 
might well be the key to a successful future of self-sufficiency.
  As we have seen in Maine, education has played a significant role in 
breaking the cycle of welfare and has given parents the skills 
necessary to find better paying jobs. And we all know that higher wages 
are the light at the end of the tunnel of public assistance.
  ``The Pathways to Self-Sufficiency Act of 2005'' provides States with 
the option to allow individuals receiving Federal TANF assistance to 
obtain post-secondary or vocational education. This legislation would 
give States the ability to use Federal TANF dollars to give those who 
are participating in vocational or post-secondary education the same 
assistance as they would receive if they were working.
  We all know that supports like income supplements, child care 
subsidies, and transportation assistance among others, are essential to 
a TANF recipient's ability to make a successful transition to work. The 
same is true for those engaged in longer term educational endeavors. 
This assistance is especially necessary for those who are undertaking 
the challenge and the financial responsibility of post-secondary 
education, in the hopes of increasing their earning potential and 
employability. The goal of this program is to give participants the 
tools necessary to succeed into the future so that they can become, and 
remain, self-sufficient.
  Choosing to go to college requires motivation, and graduating from 
college requires a great deal of commitment and work--even for someone 
who isn't raising children and sustaining a family. These are 
significant challenges, and that's even before taking into 
consideration the cost associated with obtaining a Bachelor's degree. 
This legislation would provide those TANF recipients who have the 
ability and the will to go to college the assistance they need to 
sustain their families while they get a degree.
  The value of promoting access to education in this manner to get 
people off public assistance is proven by the success of Maine's 
``Parents as Scholars'', PaS, program. Maine's PaS graduates earn a 
median wage of $11.71 per hour after graduation up from a median of 
$8.00 per hour prior to entering college. When compared to the $7.50 
median hourly wage of welfare leavers in Maine who have not received a 
post-secondary degree, PaS graduates are earning, on average, $160 more 
per week. That translates into more than $8,000 per year--a significant 
difference.
  Furthermore, the median grade point average for PaS participants 
while in college was 3.4 percent, and a full 90 percent of PaS 
participants' GPA was over 3.0. These parents are giving their all to 
pull their families out of the cycle of welfare.
  Recognizing that work is a priority under TANF, and building upon the 
successful Maine model, the ``Pathways to Self-Sufficiency Act'' 
requires that participants in post-secondary and vocational education 
also participate in work. During the first 2 years of their 
participation in these education programs, students must participate in 
a combination of study time, employment or work experience for at least 
24 hours per week--the same hourly requirement that the President 
proposes in his welfare reauthorization proposal.
  During the second 2 years--for those enrolled in a four year 
program--the participant must work at least 15 hours in addition to 
class and study time, or engage in a combination activities, including 
study time work or work experience, and training, for an average of 30 
hours per week. And all the while, participants must maintain 
satisfactory academic progress as defined by their academic 
institution.
  The bottom line is that if we expect parents to move from welfare to 
work and stay in the work force, we must give them the tools to find 
good jobs. For some people that means job training, for others that 
could mean dealing with a barrier like substance abuse or domestic 
violence, and for others, that might mean access to education that will 
secure them a good job and that will get them off and, importantly, 
keep them off of welfare.
  The experience of several ``Parents as Scholar'' graduates were 
captured in a publication published by the Maine Equal Justice 
Partners, and their experiences are testament to the fact that this 
program is a critically important step in moving towards self-
sufficiency. In this report one graduate said of her experience, ``If 
it weren't for `Parents as Scholars' I would never have been able to 
attend college, afford child care, or put food on the table. Today, I 
would most likely be stuck in a low-wage job I hated barely getting by 
. . . I can now give my children the future they deserve.''
  Another said, ``By earning my Bachelor's degree, I have become self-
sufficient. I was a waitress previously and would never have been able 
to support my daughter. I would encourage anyone to better their 
education if possible.''
  These are but a few comments from those who have benefited from 
access to post-secondary education. Giving States the option use 
Federal dollars to support these participants will make a tremendous 
difference in their ability

[[Page S1720]]

to sustain these programs which have proven results. In Maine, nearly 
90 percent of working graduates have left TANF permanently and isn't 
that our ultimate goal?
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to include this 
legislation in the upcoming welfare reauthorization. It is a critical 
piece of the effort to move people from welfare to work permanently and 
it has been missing from the federal program for too long.
                                 ______