IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1232 

Designating November 2020 as ‘‘National College Application Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 

Ms. WILD (for herself and Mr. GUTHRIE) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 2020 as ‘‘National College 

Application Month’’. 

Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of the 

noblest aspirations of the United States; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor 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 20 percentage points, which has widened exponentially as a result 

of COVID–19; 

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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•HRES 1232 IH 

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 colleges and universities report that enrollment in 

the number of nontraditional students at colleges and 

universities remains steady and is projected to rise in 

coming years; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 34 percent of high school graduates in 2019 did 

not matriculate to an institution of higher education the 

following fall semester, representing a decline in the college enrollment of new high school graduates from the 

prior year, most notably from among students of color; 

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 2019 was 18.2 

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; 

Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and processes, rising college costs, and a shortage of effective fiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:43 Nov 20, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1232.IH HR1232

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•HRES 1232 IH 

nancial 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 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; 

Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics High 

School Longitudinal Survey finds 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 84 percent more likely 

to begin postsecondary education; and 

Whereas the ongoing impact of COVID–19 on communities, 

families, and educational systems across the country underscores and reinforces the value of ensuring that all 

secondary school students have available and understand 

all their postgraduation options: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Col3 lege Application Month’’; 

4 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

5 to— 

6 (A) evaluate options for pursuing higher 

7 education; 


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•HRES 1232 IH 

1 (B) submit a Free Application for Federal 

2 Student Aid to understand college financing op3 portunities; and 

4 (C) support every student, regardless of 

5 the background or resources of the student, in 

6 obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to 

7 thrive; 

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

9 and first-generation students throughout the finan10 cial aid and college application process; 

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

12 students, and communities in the United States to 

13 observe ‘‘National College Application Month’’ with 

14 appropriate activities and programs designed to en15 courage students to consider, research, and apply to 

16 college and for financial aid; and 

17 (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, 

18 and parents who support students throughout the 

19 college application process, as well as the organiza20 tions and institutions partnering to eliminate bar21 riers to higher education. 

Æ 


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