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 em-
ployment 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 percent-
age 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 di-
ploma 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 approxi-
mately 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 col-
lege 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 unemploy-
ment rate; 
Whereas many secondary students struggle to identify and 
assess postsecondary options due to a number of factors, 
including insufficient information on programmatic out-
comes and difficulties in accessing effective or consistent 
counseling services and resources; 
Whereas the complexity of financial aid systems and proc-
esses, rising college costs, and a shortage of effective fi-
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•HRES 1232 IH 
nancial education and literacy programs can serve as ad-
ditional 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 univer-
sities to provide avenues to economic opportunity; 
Whereas data on the benefits of higher education dem-
onstrate 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 un-
derscores and reinforces the value of ensuring that all 
secondary school students have available and understand 
all their postgraduation options: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Col-
lege Application Month’’; 
(2) encourages the people of the United States 
to— 
(A) evaluate options for pursuing higher 
education; 
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•HRES 1232 IH 
(B) submit a Free Application for Federal 
Student Aid to understand college financing op-
portunities; and 
(C) support every student, regardless of 
the background or resources of the student, in 
obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to 
thrive; 
(3) supports efforts to better assist low-income 
and first-generation students throughout the finan-
cial aid and college application process; 
(4) urges public officials, educators, parents, 
students, and communities in the United States to 
observe ‘‘National College Application Month’’ with 
appropriate activities and programs designed to en-
courage students to consider, research, and apply to 
college and for financial aid; and 
(5) commends teachers, counselors, mentors, 
and parents who support students throughout the 
college application process, as well as the organiza-
tions and institutions partnering to eliminate bar-
riers to higher education. 
Æ 
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