III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 697 

Designating November 2018 as ‘‘National College Application Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2018 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. SCOTT) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 2018 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; 


khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 697 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 33 percent of high school graduates in 2017 did 

not matriculate to an institution of higher education the 

following fall semester, representing a modest decline in 

college enrollment since the year before; 

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 2017 was 16.8 

percent, significantly higher than the national unemployment rate; 

Whereas many secondary students struggle to identify and 

assess appropriate 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; 

Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and processes, coupled with a shortage of effective and comVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:23 Nov 15, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR697.ATS SR697

khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 697 ATS 

prehensive financial literacy instruction, can serve as an 

additional deterrent or barrier 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 serve as engines of social mobility; and 

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 serve 

as engines of social mobility: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates November 2018 as ‘‘National 

3 College Application Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages the people of the United 

5 States— 

6 (A) to evaluate options for pursuing higher 

7 education; and 

8 (B) to support every student, regardless of 

9 the background or resources of the student, in 

10 obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to 

11 thrive; 

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

13 and first generation students throughout the college 

14 application process; 

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

16 students, and communities in the United States to 


khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 697 ATS 

1 observe National College Application Month with ap2 propriate activities and programs designed to en3 courage students to consider, research, and apply to 

4 college; and 

5 (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, 

6 and parents who support students throughout the 

7 college application process, as well as the organiza8 tions and institutions partnering to eliminate bar9 riers to higher education. 

Æ 


khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS