,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fig  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november 
#ae1 #bjah ,mr4 ,coons 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,scott7 submitted the following    
resolution2 which was considered and    
agreed to  ,,resolution  ,designating   
,november #bjah as ,national ,college   
,application ,month4  ,whereas equality 
of opportunity for all people is one of 
the noblest aspirations of the ,united  
,states2 ,whereas the ,national ,center 
for ,education ,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 #ad percentage points2
 ,whereas a #bjae study by ,georgetown  
,university identified that the average 
lifetime earnings gap between college   
graduates and individuals with only a   
high school diploma is #a1jjj1jjj2      
,whereas the ,pew ,economic ,mobility   
,project finds that whether a child born

 in the lowest income quintile obtains a
 #d-year degree or higher credential is 
associated with--  7#a7 an approximately
 #gj-percent difference in the          
probability of that child earning an    
income outside the lowest income        
quintile2 and  7#b7 a threefold         
difference in the probability of that   
child going on to earn an income in the 
highest income quintile2  ,whereas the  
,education ,commission of the ,states   
highlights that the number of           
nontraditional students at colleges and 
universities is expected to rise #fe    
percent faster than the number of       
traditional students during the #ae-year
 period ending in #bjbd2 ,whereas the   
,bureau of ,labor ,statistics reports   
that approximately #cc percent of high  
school graduates in #bjag did not       
matriculate to an institution of higher 
education the following fall semester1  
representing a modest decline in college
 enrollment since the year before2      
,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 #bjag was #af4h    
percent1 significantly higher than the  
national unemployment rate2 ,whereas    
many secondary students struggle to     
identify and assess appropriate         
postsecondary options due to a number of
 factors1 including insufficient        
information on programmatic outcomes and
 difficulties in accessing effective or 
consistent counseling services and      
resources2 ,whereas the complexity of   
financial aid systems and processes1    
coupled with a shortage of effective and
 comprehensive financial literacy       
instruction1 can serve as an additional 
deterrent or barrier for students and   
families as they assess the viability of
 higher education programs as a         
postsecondary option2 ,whereas the      
,united ,states built a thriving middle 
class in part by nurturing the potential
 for colleges and universities to serve 

as engines of social mobility2 and      
,whereas the data on the benefits of    
higher education demonstrate that1 in   
spite of ongoing barriers to access and 
student success1 colleges and           
universities can still serve as engines 
of social mobility3 ,now1 therefore1 be 
it  ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates 
,november #bjah as ,national ,college   
,application ,month2  7#b7 encourages   
the people of the ,united ,states-- 7,a7
 to evaluate options for pursuing higher
 education2 and  7,b7 to support every  
student1 regardless of the background or
 resources of the student1 in obtaining 
the skills and knowledge needed to      
thrive2  7#c7 supports efforts to better
 assist low-income and first generation 
students throughout the college         
application process2  7#d7 urges public 
officials1 educators1 parents1 students1
 and communities in the ,united ,states 
to observe ,national ,college           
,application ,month with appropriate    
activities and programs designed to     

encourage students to consider1         
research1 and apply to college2 and     
7#e7 commends teachers1 counselors1     
mentors1 and parents who support        
students throughout the college         
application process1 as well as the     
organizations and institutions          
partnering to eliminate barriers to     
higher education4