[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 846 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 846
Designating November 2022 as ``National College Application Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 17, 2022
Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. King, Ms.
Ernst, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating November 2022 as ``National College Application Month''.
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, while
disparities to access and student success persist, postsecondary
education can still provide pathways to economic opportunity;
Whereas the United States built a thriving middle class by providing students
with postsecondary opportunities that lead 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--
G (A) greater likelihoods of economic mobility compared to
individuals who do not earn such degrees; and
G (B) a greater than 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 2021 who did not
immediately matriculate to an institution of higher education the following
fall semester was 21.6 percent, 6 times higher than the overall
unemployment rate of the United States;
(2) approximately 38 percent of high school graduates in 2021 did not
immediately matriculate to an institution of higher education the following
fall semester, which represents a 0.9 percentage point decline from the
prior year, and a 7.3 percentage point decline from 2018;
(3) the decline described in paragraph (2) was most notable among male
high school graduates, who faced a 12-percent decline from 2018 in
immediate matriculation to an institution of higher education; and
(4) the unemployment rate of adults with a bachelor's degree is
approximately half the unemployment rate of adults whose highest credential
is a high school diploma, 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 continues to decline precipitously even as
the United States recovers from 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 415 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 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 2022 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, 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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