III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 456 

Designating November 2023 as ‘‘National College Application Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 8, 2023 

Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. 

KING, and Mr. GRASSLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was 

considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 2023 as ‘‘National College 

Application Month’’. 

Whereas equality of opportunity for all people is one of the 

noblest aspirations of the United States; 

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

student success, colleges and universities can still provide 

pathways to economic opportunity; 

Whereas the United States built a thriving middle class by 

funding colleges and universities to provide avenues to individual economic opportunity and shared economic 

growth; 

Whereas higher education enhances the economic mobility of 

individuals, which is evidenced by— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•SRES 456 ATS 

(1) a finding by the Georgetown University Center 

on Education and the Workforce that the median lifetime 

earnings of holders of an associate degree are uniformly 

greater than the median lifetime earnings of holders of 

solely a high school diploma; and 

(2) a finding by the Pew Economic Mobility Project 

that, for an individual born in the lowest income quintile, 

obtaining a 4-year degree or a higher degree is associated 

with— 

(A) an approximately 80-percent difference in 

the probability of that individual earning an income 

outside the lowest income quintile; and 

(B) a threefold difference in the probability of 

that individual going on to earn an income in the 

highest income quintile; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that— 

(1) the unemployment rate of recent high school 

graduates not enrolled in college was 18.3 percent, nearly 

5 times higher than the overall unemployment rate of the 

United States; 

(2) approximately 38 percent of 2022 high school 

graduates did not immediately matriculate to an institution of higher education the following fall semester, about 

the same percent as in 2021, and a 4.2 percentage point 

decline since 2012 in the rate of immediate matriculation 

of new high school graduates to an institution of higher 

education; 

(3) the decline described in paragraph (2) was most 

notable among Hispanic and male high school graduates, 

who faced 12 percentage point and 6 percentage point 

declines, respectively, from 2012 in immediate matriculation to an institution of higher education; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•SRES 456 ATS 

(4) the unemployment rate of adults with a bachelor’s degree is nearly half that of the unemployment rate 

of adults whose highest credential is a high school degree; 

Whereas the National Student Clearinghouse reports that 

overall undergraduate enrollment in colleges and universities continues to decline; 

Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and rising 

college costs 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 many students struggle to identify and compare 

postsecondary options due to— 

(1) difficulties accessing school counseling services, 

which is evidenced by an estimation of the American 

School Counselor Association that the average student-tocounselor ratio in the United States is 408 to 1; 

(2) an absence of reliable programmatic and institutional outcome data; and 

(3) a lack of comparable and understandable college 

financial aid offers; 

Whereas, in addition to expanding outreach and support to 

recent high school graduates, colleges and universities 

must also expand outreach and support to all undergraduate students; 

Whereas applications for State-based financial aid are available in many States for students who do not qualify for 

Federal student aid; and 

Whereas the data on the benefits of higher education underscores and reinforces the value of ensuring that all individuals, including students enrolled in high school and 

working adults— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•SRES 456 ATS 

(1) understand their postsecondary options; 

(2) understand college financing opportunities; and 

(3) have support to navigate the college application 

and financial aid processes: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates November 2023 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 or an appropriate application for 

10 State-based financial aid in order to receive col11 lege financing opportunities; and 

12 (C) support every student, regardless of 

13 the background, age, or resources of the stu14 dent, in obtaining the skills and knowledge 

15 needed to thrive; 

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

17 and first-generation college students throughout the 

18 financial aid and college application process; 

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

20 students, and communities in the United States to 

21 observe National College Application Month with ap22 propriate activities and programs designed to enVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:49 Nov 08, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR456.ATS SR456

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•SRES 456 ATS 

1 courage students to consider, research, and apply to 

2 college and for financial aid; and 

3 (5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, 

4 and parents who support students throughout the 

5 college application process, as well as the organiza6 tions and institutions partnering to eliminate bar7 riers to higher education. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB