Date: 2004-07-14
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4012. legislation to reauthorize the District of Columbia College Access Act for 5 additional years. The College Access Program has been a key component of the Districts revitalization efforts in recent years. It is critical that Congress continue to support its partnership with the District in providing access to higher education resources. Madam Speaker. Congress chose to establish the D.C. College Access Program in 1999 for two primary reasons. First. the program addresses the fact that the District of Columbia does not have a State university system for its high school graduates. The program essentially leveled the playing field for high school graduates in the Nations Capital by enabling them to attend colleges and universities around the country at inState tuition rates. which makes college education affordable for students coming out of the District of Columbia. something that really was not available to them prior to this. The programs second purpose was to deter taxpaying families in the District from moving to surrounding States in order to take advantage of inState higher education options available to residents in other States. thus depriving the District of muchneeded stability and tax revenue. I cannot tell my colleagues how many mothers and fathers have approached me to say thank you for not having to leave the District so our child could go to college. but thanks to this program. we can stay. At a Committee on Government Reform hearing on the program last March. it was clear that the program has been more than a mere anecdotal success over the last 5 years. D.C. Mayor Tony Williams testified that since the creation of the program the number of high school graduates in the District continuing on to college has increased 28 percent. The national average over the same time period was 5 percent. It was not too lofg ago we had high schools in the District sending more kids out to Lorton Prison than to college. College was not an affordable option for many of these kids in the District. What we see happening now is. as it becomes more affordable. we see kids getting in the spirit and we see a significant increase of District kids going on to higher education. With that. crime decreases. the economy is improving. the District is achieving financial stability. The impact of the College Access Program is undeniable. According to a survey of high school graduates in the District. 75 percent of the students who have received assistance through the program have indicated that the existence of these grants makes the difference in their decision to attend college and was a key factor in deciding which college to attend. H.R. 4012 represents a shot at a better education and. in turn. a better life for countless D.C. students. The District is not a State. and D.C. residents do not have access to the network of inState universities like residents of other States. As I said before. this legislation also provides an incentive to families to stay in the District. This program operates handinhand with the D.C. College Access Program. which is the private sectors College Access Program. providing college counseling to D.C. high school students and last dollar financial assistance to collegebound D.C. high school graduates. This is a double punch provided by the public and the private sectors and it has made a tremendous impact on the educational opportunities available to D.C. high school students. It is equally clear that the students are becoming more aware and choosing to take advantage of these opportunities. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4012 and to continue to support a level playing field for high school graduates in the District of Columbia. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.