[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7218-S7219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 791--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2020 AS ``NATIONAL COLLEGE 
                          APPLICATION MONTH''

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Carper, and 
Ms. Ernst) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 791

       Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of 
     the noblest aspirations of the United States;
       Whereas data on the benefits of higher education 
     demonstrate that, in spite of ongoing barriers to access and 
     student success, colleges and universities can still provide 
     pathways to economic opportunity;
       Whereas the United States built a thriving middle class by 
     funding colleges and universities to provide avenues to 
     individual economic opportunity and shared economic growth;
       Whereas higher education enhances the economic mobility of 
     individuals, which is evidenced by--
       (1) a finding by the Brookings Institute that the median 
     lifetime earnings of holders of an associate degree are 
     uniformly greater than the median lifetime earnings of 
     holders of solely a high school diploma; and
       (2) a finding by the Pew Economic Mobility Project that, 
     for an individual born in the lowest income quintile, 
     obtaining a 4-year degree or a higher degree is associated 
     with--
          (A) an approximately 70 percent difference in the 
     probability of that individual earning an income outside the 
     lowest income quintile; and
          (B) a threefold difference in the probability of that 
     individual going on to earn an income in the highest income 
     quintile;
       Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that--
       (1) the unemployment rate of high school graduates in 2019 
     who did not immediately matriculate to an institution of 
     higher education the following fall semester was 18.2 
     percent, which is significantly higher than the overall 
     unemployment rate of the United States;
       (2) approximately 34 percent of high school graduates in 
     2019 did not immediately matriculate to an institution of 
     higher education the following fall semester, which 
     represents a decline from the prior year in the rate of 
     immediate matriculation of new high school graduates to an 
     institution of higher education;
       (3) the decline described in paragraph (2) was most notable 
     among African American high school graduates, who faced a 20 
     percent decline from the prior year in immediate 
     matriculation to an institution of higher education; and
       (4) the unemployment rate of adults with a bachelor's 
     degree and the unemployment rate of adults whose highest 
     credential is a high school diploma differ by 20 percentage 
     points, a gap that has grown larger as a result of COVID-19;
       Whereas the National Student Clearinghouse reports that 
     undergraduate enrollment in colleges and universities is 
     declining precipitously in the midst of the COVID-19 
     pandemic, particularly for nontraditional students;
       Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and rising 
     college costs can serve as additional deterrents or barriers 
     for students and families as they assess the viability of 
     higher education programs as a postsecondary option;
       Whereas many students struggle to identify and compare 
     postsecondary options due to--
       (1) difficulties accessing school counseling services, 
     which is evidenced by an estimation of the American School 
     Counselor Association that the student-to-counselor ratio in 
     the United States is 430 to 1;
       (2) an absence of reliable programmatic and institutional 
     outcome data; and
       (3) a lack of comparable and understandable college 
     financial aid offers;
       Whereas, in addition to expanding outreach and support to 
     recent high school graduates, colleges and universities must 
     also expand outreach and support to all undergraduate 
     students;
       Whereas the Digest of Education Statistics for 2019 of the 
     National Center for Education Statistics and the 2015-16 
     National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey found that, of 
     undergraduate students in the United States--
       (1) approximately 27 percent are older than 25 years of 
     age;
       (2) 38 percent are enrolled part-time;
       (3) 24 percent are parents; and
       (4) 86 percent live off-campus;
       Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics 
     highlights that completion of the Free Application for 
     Federal Student Aid is one of the best predictors of 
     immediate college enrollment, as high school seniors who 
     complete the form are 84 percent more likely to begin 
     postsecondary education in the fall following high school 
     graduation;
       Whereas applications for State-based financial aid are 
     available in many States for students who do not qualify for 
     Federal student aid; and
       Whereas the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 
     communities, families, and educational systems across the 
     United States underscores and reinforces the value of 
     ensuring that all individuals, including students enrolled in 
     high school and working adults--
       (1) understand their postsecondary options;
       (2) understand college financing opportunities; and
       (3) have support to navigate the college application and 
     financial aid processes: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates November 2020 as ``National College 
     Application Month'';
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to--
       (A) evaluate options for pursuing higher education;
       (B) submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or an 
     appropriate application for State-based financial aid in 
     order to receive college financing opportunities; and
       (C) support every student, regardless of the background, 
     age, or resources of the student,

[[Page S7219]]

     in obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to thrive;
       (3) supports efforts to better assist low-income and first-
     generation college students throughout the financial aid and 
     college application process;
       (4) urges public officials, educators, parents, students, 
     and communities in the United States to observe National 
     College Application Month with appropriate activities and 
     programs designed to encourage students to consider, 
     research, and apply to college and for financial aid; and
       (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, and parents who 
     support students throughout the college application process, 
     as well as the organizations and institutions partnering to 
     eliminate barriers to higher education.

                          ____________________