[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 185 (Wednesday, November 8, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5430-S5431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 456--DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 2023 AS ``NATIONAL COLLEGE 
                          APPLICATION MONTH''

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Van Hollen, 
Mr. King, and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 456

       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 
     demonstrates 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 Georgetown University Center on 
     Education and the Workforce 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 80-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 recent high school graduates 
     not enrolled in college was 18.3 percent, nearly 5 times 
     higher than the overall unemployment rate of the United 
     States;
       (2) approximately 38 percent of 2022 high school graduates 
     did not immediately matriculate to an institution of higher 
     education the following fall semester, about the same percent 
     as in 2021, and a 4.2 percentage point decline since 2012 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 Hispanic and male high school graduates, who faced 12 
     percentage point and 6 percentage point declines, 
     respectively, from 2012 in immediate matriculation to an 
     institution of higher education; and
       (4) the unemployment rate of adults with a bachelor's 
     degree is nearly half that of the unemployment rate of adults 
     whose highest credential is a high school degree;
       Whereas the National Student Clearinghouse reports that 
     overall undergraduate enrollment in colleges and universities 
     continues to decline;
       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 average student-to-counselor 
     ratio in the United States is 408 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 applications for State-based financial aid are 
     available in many States for students who do not qualify for 
     Federal student aid; and
       Whereas the data on the benefits of higher education 
     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 2023 as ``National College 
     Application Month'';
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to--
       (A) evaluate options for pursuing higher education;

[[Page S5431]]

       (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, 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.

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