III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 664 

Recognizing the designation of April as ‘‘Community College Month’’ to 

celebrate more than 1,000 institutions throughout the United States 

supporting access to higher education and workforce training, and more 

broadly sustaining and advancing the economic prosperity of the United 

States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 30, 2024 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. KING, Mr. CRAPO, Ms. BUTLER, 

Ms. HASSAN, Mr. WELCH, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Mr. BROWN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. SANDERS, and Mrs. CAPITO) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the designation of April as ‘‘Community College 

Month’’ to celebrate more than 1,000 institutions 

throughout the United States supporting access to higher 

education and workforce training, and more broadly sustaining and advancing the economic prosperity of the 

United States. 

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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•SRES 664 ATS 

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 country 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, including 921 

public, 36 tribal, and 69 independent colleges, serve 

10,200,000 credit and noncredit students; 

Whereas public community colleges are an affordable option, 

charging an average of $3,990 for annual tuition and 

fees for in-district students, have an average student age 

of 27, and often serve students who are employed, lowincome, parents, veterans, or the first in their family to 

go to college; 

Whereas community colleges are the primary educational institutions serving the workforce development needs of the 

United States and respond 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 in the United States who 

completed a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year college in 2016 

had, in the last decade, been enrolled at a 2-year public 

college; 

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

student’s local community college is only 10 miles; 


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Whereas 82 percent of public high schools offer dual enrollment programs that allow students to take college classes, usually at their local community college, thereby offering them the opportunity to save time and money in college and jumpstart 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 April as ‘‘Community College Month’’ 

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

long supported this country’s prosperity and competitiveness and community vitality and that will be important 

to the economic future of the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the designation 

2 of April as ‘‘Community College Month’’ to celebrate over 

3 1,000 community colleges throughout the United States 

4 serving local and regional needs and strengthening the 

5 economy of the United States. 

Æ 


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