[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2366-H2367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TERRITORIAL STUDENT ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION ACT
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6472) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide
for in-state tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the
United States Virgin Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6472
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Territorial Student Access
to Higher Education Act''.
SECTION 2. IN-STATE TUITION FOR CERTAIN RESIDENTS OF GUAM,
THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA
ISLANDS, AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE UNITED STATES
VIRGIN ISLANDS.
(a) In-State Tuition Rates.--Part C of title I of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015 et seq.) is
amended by inserting after section 135 the following:
``SEC. 135A. IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR CERTAIN RESIDENTS OF
GUAM, THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA
ISLANDS, AMERICAN SAMOA, AND THE UNITED STATES
VIRGIN ISLANDS.
``(a) In General.--A public institution of higher education
that receives assistance under this Act shall not charge a
covered individual tuition or fees for attendance at such
institution at a rate that is greater than the rate charged
for residents of the State in which such institution is
located.
``(b) Covered Individual.--In this section, the term
`covered individual' means an individual who--
``(1) is a resident of Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the United
States Virgin Islands; and
``(2) is a national of the United States (as such term is
defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))).''.
(b) Program Participation Agreement.--Section 487(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(30) The institution will comply with the requirements of
section 135A, as applicable.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
{time} 1710
general leave
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6472, sponsored by
Congressman James Moylan of Guam, which allows residents of U.S.
territories to access in-State tuition rates at public universities
across the U.S.
I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 6472, which ensures students of
the U.S. territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands receive in-State
tuition at public universities across the country.
I am pleased that all of the Delegates from each U.S. territory are
original cosponsors of the bill and that it received strong bipartisan
support in the committee markup.
Under H.R. 6472, public postsecondary institutions will be required
to offer in-State tuition rates to residents of U.S. territories.
Through this bill, a student from Guam would pay the same tuition at a
public university just as any in-State student.
This isn't a novel idea. Under current law, servicemembers and their
families already receive in-State tuition rates, creating new pathways
for more Americans to get high-quality educations at a competitive
cost.
However, H.R. 6472 doesn't just help students. It helps the
territories, too. After graduation, students can return home with
advanced degrees and credentials they can reinvest back into their
homes and local economies.
This isn't just an investment in our students. It is an investment in
the economic strength of American territories. Students can contribute
their newfound expertise to help develop new industries and drive
economic development.
That investment also strengthens American national security. As
competition with our adversaries, like China, intensify in the Pacific
and drug trafficking continues in South and Central America, we must
ensure our territories have the infrastructure and brainpower needed to
promote a strong national security posture in the region.
Last year, we passed the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which included
some of the most conservative reforms to higher education in decades,
massively lowering costs and helping create new pathways for students
to chase the American Dream.
We now have a chance to build off that success of the Working
Families Tax Cut Act and lower postsecondary education costs for U.S.
residents in U.S. territories so they can continue supporting our vital
military operations.
Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Committee on Education and the
Workforce, I look forward to passing H.R. 6472 and supporting our
territories.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6472, which would amend
the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-State tuition rates
for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana
Islands, the American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands.
I support this initiative in principle because we cannot ignore the
needs of these States. However, we also should not ignore that States
and public colleges set their own tuition rates based on State budgets
and priorities.
When this bill was marked up in committee, Democrats proposed an
amendment to require the Federal Government to foot the bill for these
costs instead of the public colleges themselves. This approach has a
similar goal to the District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant, the
DCTAG program, which provides Federal funding for D.C. residents to
help pay the difference between the higher out-of-State tuition and the
lower in-State tuition at public universities across the country.
The DCTAG program was established because Washington, D.C., does not
have an adequate number of public universities. The territories
involved in this bill face a similar challenge. Most of the territories
do not have a robust public university system that offers a variety of
majors for students to choose from. Regrettably, the full committee did
not agree to this amendment to provide Federal funding.
Mr. Speaker, while I support the bill because we must ensure that all
students have access to low-tuition college education, I still have
concerns about the funding mechanism. It is the Federal Government's
responsibility to bear the cost of this mandate rather
[[Page H2367]]
than shift it to the States, which are already facing financial strain.
Further, while I appreciate my colleagues' interest in expanding
college access and affordability for students from these territories, I
would be remiss if I overlooked the fact that congressional Republicans
made it harder for these same students to afford colleges. That is
because of cuts to the Pell Grant Program, changes to loan limits, and
elimination of affordable loan repayment plans enacted in their big
ugly law. Nevertheless, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on
the bill and reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Guam (Mr. Moylan), the sponsor of the bill and a great member of the
Education and Workforce Committee.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Chairman Walberg,
for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Guam's students
and strongly urge my colleagues to vote for my bill, H.R. 6472.
This bill delivers a targeted approach to make college more
affordable, strengthen workforce pipelines, and support critical
national security efforts in the U.S. territories.
H.R. 6472 provides tuition rate guarantees to U.S. nationals who live
in Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. High costs
associated with education in the States, not ability, limit educational
opportunities for students in the territories.
None of our islands have doctorate, law, or medical degree programs.
Lack of access to these programs leads to workforce shortages in
critical sectors. Lowering barriers to access will lead to greater
capacity building in the territories.
Some examples of past folks are: Honorable Peter C. Siguenza, who
attended California State University and returned home after law school
to become Guam's first Chief Justice.
Then there was the late Dr. Chris Perez, who went to UC San
Francisco, who came home to be a good doctor for the island.
There was also our first president of the University of Guam, Dr.
Antonio Yamashita, who attended the University of North Carolina.
We currently have leaders on our island, such as Dr. Enriquez, who is
the president of our University of Guam. She attended the University of
Maryland.
We also have Dr. Aguon, who attended the University of Hawaii and is
now running our Guam Memorial Hospital, and our Governor ``Lou'' Leon
Guerrero attended UCLA.
Every doctor and lawyer in Guam studied elsewhere, returned home, and
has made an incredible impact on our community.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Guam.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, this bill is about empowering our residents
to seek degrees that we need but are not available at home and to
return home to strengthen our communities.
I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill, our students, and
our community.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).
Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding
time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 6472, the Territorial
Student Access to Higher Education Act.
Mr. Speaker, since my first term in Congress, expanding access to
higher education for students from the United States territories has
been a priority. Today, I am proud that the House is considering
meaningful, bipartisan legislation to address this issue.
I want to point out that the United States small territories face
unique geographic and economic challenges. Small populations, remote
locations, and constrained local economies make it difficult for
residents to pursue specialized training or many degrees close to home.
Students from small territories who seek degrees or majors not
available locally must attend college on the mainland. That is the
reason why Puerto Rico is not included in this legislation. Puerto Rico
has multiple universities on that island. In the smaller territories,
however, we do not.
{time} 1720
For example, in the Virgin Islands, we do not offer degree programs
for engineering, economics, international relations, French, or history
to name a few. For many of our students, costs, not ability, is what
prevents them from earning a degree. The lack of access to higher
education limits workforce development, economic growth, and long-term
stability in the territories as discussed by the chairman.
Our brain drain is exponentially greater due to our isolated
location. This legislation directly addresses this challenge. H.R. 6472
amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public colleges and
universities receiving Federal funds to charge eligible small territory
residents no more than in-State tuition rates. As you heard from
Ranking Member Scott, there is no cost presently in this legislation to
the Federal Government's budget.
By removing this barrier, we reduce families' financial burden,
expand access to programs unavailable on the islands, and strengthen
the workforce pipelines that territorial economies depend on to sustain
their future.
I am deeply grateful to Congressman Moylan, former Congresswoman
Radewagen, Congresswoman King-Hinds, as well as Congressman Hernandez
for cosponsorship and partnership. I especially thank Chairman Tim
Walberg as well as Ranking Member Bobby Scott of the House Committee
on Education and Workforce for their bipartisan leadership in moving
this legislation through the committee.
Mr. Speaker, the residents of the United States territories serve in
this Nation's Armed Forces, pay Federal taxes, and are bound by its
laws. They are American citizens in every sense of the word. Federal
support for access to multiple degrees in higher education should
extend to all of us. This bill does that without being a burden on the
Federal Government's budget.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 6472.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, as President Trump said in his State of Union Address
last week, America's military is the strongest in the world, but we
continue to have enemies around every corner of the globe who would
like to undermine our power.
That is why H.R. 6472 is so important. This bill ensures residents of
U.S. territories receive vital workforce training and skills as our
U.S. military continues to operate out of these critical geographical
outposts.
The working families tax cuts were a strong step in lowering costs
for students and borrowers. Now, we are continuing these efforts and
supporting our military and our territories.
As chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am steadfast
in my commitment to reducing college costs and opening up workforce
pipelines. I thank Congressman Moylan again for sponsoring this
legislation and helping expand educational opportunities for residents
of U.S. territories.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6472, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________