IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1145 

Recognizing the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ in April as 

a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United 

States supporting access to higher education, workforce training, and 

more broadly sustaining and advancing the Nation’s economic prosperity. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2024 

Mr. COURTNEY (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. CISCOMANI, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. TRONE, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, 

Mrs. MCBATH, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. DAVIS of North 

Carolina, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. MAGAZINER, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, and Mr. COSTA) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ 

in April as a celebration of more than 1,000 institutions 

throughout the United States supporting access to higher 

education, workforce training, and more broadly sustaining and advancing the Nation’s economic prosperity. 

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; 


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•HRES 1145 IH 

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 Nation 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, 921 public, 36 

Tribal, and 69 independent, serve 10,200,000 credit and 

noncredit students; 

Whereas public community colleges are an affordable option 

charging average annual tuition and fees for in-district 

students of $3,990, have an average student age of 27, 

and serve students who often are working, low-income, 

parents, veterans, or the first in their family to go to college; 

Whereas community colleges are the primary educational institution serving workforce development needs in the 

United States, and are responding 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 completing a bachelor’s 

degree at a four-year college in 2016 had been enrolled 

at a two-year public college in the previous decade; 

Whereas the median distance from a student’s home to a 

community college was only 10 miles; 

Whereas 82 percent of public high schools offer dual enrollment programs allowing their students to take college 


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classes, usually at their local community college, offering 

opportunity to save time and money in college and jump 

start 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 ‘‘Community College Month’’ in April 

provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the value of institutions that have 

long supported American prosperity, competitiveness, and 

community vitality and that will be important to the Nation’s economic future: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes the significance of ‘‘Community College Month’’ as 

3 an opportunity to celebrate over 1,000 community colleges 

4 throughout the United States serving local and regional 

5 needs and strengthening the American economy. 

Æ 


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