[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 664 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 664

Recognizing the designation of April as ``Community College Month'' to 
  celebrate more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States 
supporting access to higher education and workforce training, and more 
broadly sustaining and advancing the economic prosperity of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 30, 2024

   Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Risch, Mr. 
   Blumenthal, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. King, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Butler, Ms. 
   Hassan, Mr. Welch, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. 
Brown, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Sanders, and Mrs. Capito) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the designation of April as ``Community College Month'' to 
  celebrate more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States 
supporting access to higher education and workforce training, and more 
broadly sustaining and advancing the economic prosperity of the United 
                                States.

Whereas the first public community college, known today as Joliet Junior College 
        in Illinois, opened its doors to 6 students in 1901, as an experiment to 
        accommodate those who wanted to pursue a college education without 
        leaving their community;
Whereas the term ``community college'' was popularized by the President's 
        Commission on Higher Education in 1947, in recognition of the community-
        centered nature of the emerging sector of institutions;
Whereas local community and educational leaders throughout the country developed 
        community colleges at a dramatic pace over several decades to instill 
        civic pride and meet their people's needs for educational and economic 
        opportunity;
Whereas, today, 1,026 community colleges, including 921 public, 36 tribal, and 
        69 independent colleges, serve 10,200,000 credit and noncredit students;
Whereas public community colleges are an affordable option, charging an average 
        of $3,990 for annual tuition and fees for in-district students, have an 
        average student age of 27, and often serve students who are employed, 
        low-income, parents, veterans, or the first in their family to go to 
        college;
Whereas community colleges are the primary educational institutions serving the 
        workforce development needs of the United States and respond to current 
        economic conditions by educating professionals in fields ranging from 
        the semiconductor and construction industries to nursing and other 
        health care professions;
Whereas 49 percent of all students in the United States who completed a 
        bachelor's degree at a 4-year college in 2016 had, in the last decade, 
        been enrolled at a 2-year public college;
Whereas the median distance from a student's home to the student's local 
        community college is only 10 miles;
Whereas 82 percent of public high schools offer dual enrollment programs that 
        allow students to take college classes, usually at their local community 
        college, thereby offering them the opportunity to save time and money in 
        college and jumpstart career exploration;
Whereas alumni of community colleges generated $898,500,000,000 in added income 
        to the national economy in fiscal year 2020, or 4.1 percent of the total 
        gross domestic product;
Whereas every dollar of public funding for community colleges returns $6.80 in 
        tax revenue generated; and
Whereas celebrating April as ``Community College Month'' provides the people of 
        the United States with an opportunity to recognize the value of 
        institutions that have long supported this country's prosperity and 
        competitiveness and community vitality and that will be important to the 
        economic future of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the designation of April as 
``Community College Month'' to celebrate over 1,000 community colleges 
throughout the United States serving local and regional needs and 
strengthening the economy of the United States.
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