III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 432 

Designating November 2019 as ‘‘National College Application Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2019 

Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. CARPER, and Ms. 

ERNST) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 2019 as ‘‘National College 

Application Month’’. 

Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of the 

noblest aspirations of the United States; 

Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics reports 

that the employment rate for young adults with a bachelor’s degree and the employment rate for young adults 

whose highest credential is a high school diploma differ 

by 14 percentage points; 

Whereas a 2015 study by Georgetown University identified 

that the average lifetime earnings gap between college 

graduates and individuals with only a high school diploma is $1,000,000; 


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•SRES 432 ATS 

Whereas the Pew Economic Mobility Project finds that 

whether a child born in the lowest income quintile obtains 

a 4-year degree or higher credential is associated with— 

(1) an approximately 70 percent difference in the 

probability of that child earning an income outside the 

lowest income quintile; and 

(2) a threefold difference in the probability of that 

child going on to earn an income in the highest income 

quintile; 

Whereas the Education Commission of the States highlights 

that the number of nontraditional students at colleges 

and universities is expected to rise 65 percent faster than 

the number of traditional students during the 15-year period ending in 2024; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 31 percent of high school graduates in 2018 did 

not matriculate to an institution of higher education the 

following fall semester, representing little change in the 

college enrollment of new high school graduates from the 

prior year; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the 

unemployment rate for recent high school graduates not 

enrolled in college in the fall semester of 2018 was 18.6 

percent, significantly higher than the national unemployment rate; 

Whereas many secondary students struggle to identify and 

assess postsecondary options due to a number of factors, 

including insufficient information on programmatic outcomes and difficulties in accessing effective or consistent 

counseling services and resources; 


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•SRES 432 ATS 

Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and processes, rising college costs, and a shortage of effective financial education and literacy programs 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 the United States built a thriving middle class in 

part by nurturing the potential for colleges and universities to provide avenues to economic opportunity; 

Whereas the data on the benefits of higher education demonstrate that, in spite of ongoing barriers to access and 

student success, colleges and universities can still provide 

pathways to economic opportunity; and 

Whereas completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is one of the best predictors of future college 

enrollment, as high school seniors who complete the form 

are 63 percent more likely to begin postsecondary education: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates November 2019 as ‘‘National 

3 College Application Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

5 to— 

6 (A) evaluate options for pursuing higher 

7 education; 

8 (B) submit a Free Application for Federal 

9 Student Aid to understand college financing op10 portunities; and 


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•SRES 432 ATS 

1 (C) support every student, regardless of 

2 the background or resources of the student, in 

3 obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to 

4 thrive; 

5 (3) supports efforts to better assist low-income 

6 and first generation students throughout the finan7 cial aid and college application process; 

8 (4) urges public officials, educators, parents, 

9 students, and communities in the United States to 

10 observe National College Application Month with ap11 propriate activities and programs designed to en12 courage students to consider, research, and apply to 

13 college and for financial aid; and 

14 (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, 

15 and parents who support students throughout the 

16 college application process, as well as the organiza17 tions and institutions partnering to eliminate bar18 riers to higher education. 

Æ 


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