[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 210 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 60537-60538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24116]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 210 / Wednesday, November 3, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 60537]]


                Proclamation 10298 of October 29, 2021

                
National College Application Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                When America made 12 years of public education 
                universal more than a century ago, it gave us the best-
                educated, best-prepared workforce in the world--which 
                in turn was a major part of why we were able to lead 
                the world in the 20th century. Today, however, we know 
                that 12 years is no longer enough to compete. American 
                students deserve every opportunity to gain the skills 
                they need to carve out a place for themselves in 
                tomorrow's economy. But according to a recent study, 
                the United States now ranks 33rd out of 44 advanced 
                economies when it comes to the share of our young 
                people who have attained a degree beyond high school.

                If we are going to set the pace around the globe once 
                more--on research and development, innovation and 
                discovery, equity and opportunity, and creating good-
                paying jobs with dignity--it is imperative that we put 
                an affordable, high-quality education after high school 
                within reach of every American student. During College 
                Application Month, we celebrate the possibilities that 
                postsecondary education provides and encourage 
                Americans to apply to colleges and universities as we 
                work to ensure that every student has a chance to reach 
                their full potential and strengthen our Nation's 
                future.

                My Administration is working hard to ensure that higher 
                education is equitable, accessible, and affordable for 
                every student in every community. That is why my 
                Administration Build Back Better framework includes 
                major investments in community colleges, as well as our 
                essential network of Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities 
                (TCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). 
                In addition, my plan would increase the Federal Pell 
                Grant award, a key resource to help students from 
                lower-income families afford college--including costs 
                beyond tuition. Each of these investments will help 
                America's young people, including Dreamers, earn a 
                better shot at the good-paying jobs of tomorrow. My 
                Administration is also working to modernize the Free 
                Application for Federal Student Aid form. Finally, we 
                are taking steps to ensure that academic institutions 
                do a better job of providing students with clear and 
                transparent information on how much they can expect to 
                pay for college and their options to afford those 
                costs.

                However, as important to our Nation's future as 
                accessing college is, college completion is just as 
                critical. Far too many students enter college only to 
                have to drop out before graduation, and we are seeing 
                firsthand how the pandemic has exacerbated the 
                challenges students face as they seek to complete their 
                studies. COVID-19 has significantly increased economic 
                insecurity for families across the country, 
                particularly for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, 
                and those in low-income communities, resulting in new, 
                unequal barriers to college enrollment and completion. 
                My Administration stands ready to support our Nation's 
                colleges in welcoming back every student who had to put 
                their education goals on hold due to the pandemic.

                My Administration has also called for bold investments 
                in completion and retention at colleges and 
                universities that serve high numbers of low-income 
                students--including community colleges--so that all 
                Americans have the

[[Page 60538]]

                opportunity to obtain an education beyond high school. 
                These investments would help cover proven solutions for 
                student success, including providing wraparound 
                services such as child- and elder-care, mental health 
                services, accessibility resources, and emergency basic 
                needs grants, in order to help more Americans enter and 
                graduate college.

                Additionally, my Administration is working hard to 
                provide institutions with funding and flexibility to 
                meet students' needs. Earlier this year, we launched an 
                outreach campaign to millions of Federal Pell Grant 
                recipients who are now eligible for a monthly discount 
                on broadband internet service under a temporary program 
                administered by the Federal Communications Commission. 
                We have also partnered with other agencies across the 
                Federal Government to notify institutions and their 
                students about expanded access to the Supplemental 
                Nutrition Assistance Program, health care benefits, tax 
                cuts for those raising children, and financial aid and 
                postsecondary education opportunities for students and 
                families facing unemployment.

                This month, we celebrate the hard work and promise of 
                students across the country and recommit ourselves to 
                building back better by ensuring that everyone in 
                America can pursue and complete a high-quality, 
                affordable higher education. We thank the parents and 
                loved ones, teachers, professors, administrators, 
                financial aid professionals, college access 
                organizations, mentors and counselors who help our 
                students throughout the college application process and 
                beyond.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2021 
                as National College Application Month. I call upon 
                public officials, educators, parents, students, and all 
                Americans to observe this month with appropriate 
                programs, ceremonies, and activities designed to 
                encourage students to make plans about, apply for, and 
                graduate from college.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-24116
Filed 11-2-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P